All Grown Up
by Oceans'Away94
Summary: Edgar Hansen finds himself struggling to choose between doing "whats right" or doing what he actually wants, when the little girl he once knew returns into his life all grown up.
1. Old and Familiar

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hey Everyone! Sorry, I haven't written any stories in a while, it's taken me sometime to get inspired and I've been pretty busy. I'm graduating high school this January, which is 3 1/2 years instead of the usual four so I'm pretty excited about that. I also applied for 3 different seafood processing positions in Alaska so lets keep our fingers crossed and hope I get some work out there. Obviously I'm in a pretty good mood and want to share it with my DC family so here's another story to add to our community. Enjoy Everyone!

Edgar leaned back in the co-captain's chair, eyes closed, as he listened to his oldest brother shuffling around the wheelhouse, going over family charts, studying statistics of crab migration within the last year, and constantly checking on weather updates. It was that time of year again, King Crab season. Everyone was anxious and excited to get to the fishing grounds and make a killing. Everyone except Edgar, that is.

It had been three years since Gia first stepped foot on the Northwestern and in that time so much had changed. She and Norman had gotten married two years ago and now she was 4 weeks pregnant with their first child. Everyone was happy for them, including Edgar, though he was not looking forward to training yet another overly ambitious and naive greenhorn. Gia had offered to stay on for King Crab season since she was so early in her pregnancy and was sure she could still do the job without complications to her health but Norman wouldn't hear a word of it, which was just as well with Edgar. He'd really come to love Gia as a sister and wouldn't even entertain the idea of her fishing while pregnant with his niece or nephew. There were just too many risks involved and he, as well as the rest of the crew, were not going to allow her to take them.

Still the Northwestern would need a new crew member, and as deck boss of the fishing vessel, it was Edgar's "lot in life", as he liked to put it, to train an incompetent greenhorn and mold him into a sufficient deckhand. Truth be told, he didn't even want a new guy and would be happy grinding out the season a crew member short. Though Edgar in theory was a sociable person, he generally liked to stay within his close knit circle of family and friends and didn't care much for outsiders. Of course there was an exception to every rule, such as Jake Anderson and Gia Hansen, then known as Gia Giancola. Yet even they couldn't completely be considered outsiders, seeing as Jake is Nick Mavar's nephew, longtime veteran to the Northwestern. Gia herself had worked 3 summers for the Hillstrands, who were like brothers to the Hansens' anyway. Their crazy, practical joke, firecracker, gun-happy, Swedish nut job brothers. Needless to say, Jake and Gia fit right in with the Northwestern clan and as far as Edgar was concerned, their family was complete, greenhorns need NOT apply. Edgar wasn't interested in new blood. He was comfortable with what was 'old and familiar'.

Edgar sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, as he opened them to the sun shining through the windows of the wheelhouse. He didn't realize how bright it was and had to blink several times before adjusting to the light. Standing up, Edgar stretched and gave a yawn that could be heard on the deck below. He sauntered over to his oldest brother, who was still concentrating on charts and setting a course for their grounds. Edgar stood next to Sig and uninterestedly glanced over all the papers scattered on his desk.

"Have a nice rest, sleeping beauty?" Sig asked, still not looking away from his work.

"Yes, thank you." Edgar replied with a small grin.

This season, Sig promised to go easy on his youngest brother, knowing how much damage Edgar's body was suffering from 22 years of loyal service to the Northwestern. So far the Captain had held true on his promise to his brother, which was why Edgar was sitting in the wheelhouse instead of outside working on prepping the boat for the season. Besides the healing benefits Edgar would gain from not "over-doing it", if that was even possible on a crab boat, it would benefit Jake too. It was time that he got some extra responsibility and Edgar was confident he could handle it. In fact, Edgar had even briefly entertained the idea of Jake mentoring the new guy, but quickly dismissed the idea. Jake was a good kid, but sometimes he could be a cocky little baster and he'd probably spend more time being bossy than actually trying to teach the kid anything. As if reading his mind, Sig suddenly asked

"Ready for another greenhorn?"

"Not really." Edgar said, sighing heavily.

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel like we need another member. The Northwestern crew is complete as far as I'm concerned."

Sig sighed "Lighten up Edgar. There's nothing wrong with letting new people in."

"Is this the same Sig Hansen who wouldn't even shake a greenhorn's hand until the end of the season, telling me to be more open and welcoming?"

Sig laughed for the first time that day "Yeah, I guess it is. Besides I think you'll like this greenhorn."

"I doubt that."

Sig shrugged before making his way downstairs to the galley. Edgar sat on the bench behind the Captain's chair, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and was soon inhaling his favorite poison. He'd been sitting there a total of 5 minutes when he heard footsteps trudging up the stairs. Assuming it was Sig, Edgar continued to stare aimlessly out the window, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"I really wish you would stop smoking."

Edgar froze at recognition of the voice. He slowly turned his head to the direction of the staircase and a smile spread across his face. The woman standing in front of him smiled in return, dropped her duffel bag and made her way over to Edgar's embrace. He was so stunned all he could do was hold her in silence. When Sig said a greenhorn would be joining them this season he wouldn't have guessed in a million years it would be her. Yet here she was, comfortably in his arms, old and familiar.


	2. A Thousand Years Ago

Hey everyone :) Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Shout out to wishuy for giving this story it's first review :)

Edgar finally released the young woman from his arms, realizing he'd probably been holding her far too long. She stepped back from him and continued to smile, a smile Edgar knew from a thousand years ago. Almost instantly he had flash back of himself and the woman standing in front of him, he a young, strapping 25 year old man and she an awkward little girl, just 13 years of age. She'd been coming around the docks in Pugent Sound since she was about 10 years old, not knowing a single soul. As Edgar would prep the boat to leave for Alaska, he'd always see that same little girl aimlessly wandering the docks, sometimes studying the boats, other times just admiring. And more often than not, he'd catch her staring at him, though whenever he met her gaze dead on she'd immediately find something much more interesting to look at. Eventually he'd gone over and introduced himself.

"Hey kid."

"Hey."

"Whatcha' doin?"

"Nothing much. Just checking out the boats."

"You like boats?"

"Yeah."

"You like to fish?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how to do your kind of fishing. I usually fish for Bass and stuff like that."

"That's cool too."

"Yeah, I guess."

She turned her gaze to the floor and stared at her scuffed sneakers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. She was feeling shy and more than a little insignificant in his presence.

"Would you wanna learn how to work on a crab boat?"

Edgar remembered how bright her brown eyes had lit up and how she tried to conceal a smile, tugging at the side of her lips. She wasn't the prettiest little girl he'd ever seen. Her hair was usually messy, she had rashy skin and her clothes looked like they'd been picked out from the boys' department. Never the less, he always thought she had the most beautiful brown eyes and a smile so sweet, that only an innocent youth, such as herself, could produce it.

"You would teach me?" she'd ask him, shy and unsure.

"Sure. I mean I can't take you crabbing with me or anything like that, but I can take you around the boat, show you how things operate from the engine room to the wheelhouse. Its important shit... uh sorry... stuff for you to know if you wanna work on a crab boat."

" You really think I could work on a crab boat? Like if I really tried?"

"All you gotta have is the want. Everything else will follow."

And when Edgar had said that, he'd honestly meant it. Why couldn't she someday work on a crab boat. Stranger things had happened.

"Okay show me." she said happily.

And from there Edgar and the little girl had formed a bond. She always came to help Edgar and the crew for whenever they were preparing to leave for Alaska, always "seeing him off" when he finally did leave and always at the docks waiting for him when he came back, no matter what the hour, which sometimes concerned him because it would be late. But still, since Edgar didn't have a girlfriend at the time like the other guys, it was nice to have someone welcome him home. She always carried this little half-assed prepaid cell phone with her which was to be used for emergencies only. But the only time she would actually use it was when Edgar would send her a text, letting her know the day he was leaving for Dutch Harbor or the day he'd return to Pugent Sound. There was even the occasional time when he'd go to the Northwestern, just to get away and he'd text her letting her know, incase she wanted to stop by, which of course, she always did. Other than that though, they'd didn't converse by phone.

Edgar usually found kids to be annoying, especially little girls, but he had to say that this little girl in particular was alright. Definitely an old soul, wise beyond her years. Though Edgar didn't really go out seeking her company,seeing as that might be a considered creepy, he certainly enjoyed having her around. They talked about tons of different things, though Edgar tried to keep it PG, for her sake. He knew she would get frustrated with him at times, for treating her as a child. But that was what she was and Edgar felt he needed to remind her of that sometimes, so she wouldn't build unrealistic hopes about the two of them.

Then they day came when they wouldn't see each other for years to come. It was summertime and the Northwestern was all but ready to set sail for Alaska and harvest Salmon. Edgar sent his ritual text to the little girl, knowing she'd arrive within the hour. When she did come, Edgar knew immediately that something was wrong. She'd been walking with her head down, shoulders slumped, and her eyes had been red from crying, though she'd never admit it to him. His first thought was that someone had done physical harm to her and that he'd have to go kick somebody's ass. But as she approached Edgar, she explained to him that this would be the last time she would see him off. She was moving to Maine, because her farther had been transfered there by his company. By the time Edgar would be done with Salmon, she wouldn't be here to welcome him home. To make matters worse, her parents decided that she really didn't need a cell phone " at such a young age" as they put it, and had taken her phone, leaving her with no communication line to Edgar.

He really was sad to know she was moving, he'd become very fond of her and didn't like to see her sad. He promised her that somehow, they'd meet each other again, though not really believing it. They hugged each other tightly and he stroked her hair. Matt called Edgar through the loud hailer, saying they needed to get a move on. The little girl squeezed Edgar more tightly than before and said

"I love you Edgar."

He hugged her tightly then released her from his grip, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too kid." Edgar replied with a smile, though he meant it in an entirely different way than she did.

And with one more hug and one more kiss, Edgar hopped over the rail and waved goodbye to a broken hearted girl. She waved goodbye back and Edgar was sure she'd stood there until the Northwestern had completely gone out of sight and then maybe even longer than that.

And that was the last time he was to ever see that little girl. Because who he saw in front of him now was no awkward little girl, but a woman. A very, very beautiful woman.

The only remnants of the child lie in the woman's eyes and smile, telling their story of a thousand years ago.


	3. Tough Enough?

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Okay "Greenhorn" finally gets a name :) Enjoy & Review.

The Northwestern was only 5 days into the season and try as the greenhorn might, she was having a hard time coming into her own. She could handle biting the head off a herring, the unruly smell of bait, and even the bitter winds and choppy seas that seemed to be hiting her from every direction, not having one case of seasickness. But what she was having a hard time dealing with was the severe beating her body was taking from this job. Never in her life had so many muscles in her body hurt at one time. She wasn't even aware she had that many muscles to begin with. And to make matters worse were the grueling, NEVER ENDING hours that were put in for this job, leaving her body little chance to rest and heal. During the 3rd day of their grind, the greenhorn had locked herself in the bathroom, in between strings, and tried to keep it together mentally. She gave herself a quick pep talk, willing herself not to quit on the Captain and the crew, if not for her own sake. She'd just about finished up when a loud banging on the door startled her.

"Natalia ! Get your ass moving! We're about to reach the next string!" Edgar Hansen yelled from the other side of the bathroom door before making his way back on deck.

That was another thing she was having a hard time with. It was bad enough to get your ass handed to you by the Bering Sea in front of everybody, but it was worse when one of the "everybodys" was Edgar Hansen.

Natalia had been completely taken with him from the moment she'd laid eyes on him at the tender age of 10. While it was true that she'd originally come to the docks to admire the boats, she'd soon found a new object of admiration, and as with her attention, he'd also stolen her heart, though both unintentionally.

They bonded throughout the years and it was more than Natalia could have hoped for. She knew that he only saw her as a little girl, she was his "pal" he used to say, and inside it hurt her. Deep down she'd known she was in love with Edgar and as much as she tried to hide it, she knew that he knew it too. He was nice about it though, pretending to be oblivious to her feelings so as not to embarrass her. Sometimes when she would come to the docks to visit him, she'd hear one of the guys make a joke saying "Uh-oh, here comes Edgar's girlfriend" and Edgar would shut them up before Natalia reached him, not knowing that she'd already heard the joke. Not that it bothered her much. She kind of liked the fact that the guy's referred to her as "Edgar's girlfriend" even if it was as a joke.

Natalia had to make herself snap back to reality, unlock herself from the bathroom, and go back outside and grind through the pain. While she was baiting another pot and trying her best not to show the pain she was in, she briefly thought back to the day Edgar first spoke to her. He had told her that she could work on a crab boat as long as she had the want and that the rest would follow. Remembering that gave her a boost of motivation and encouragement and helped pull her through the following two days.

She was sure everyone was about sick of her by now, Edgar included, but she still continued to try her best. She wasn't as fast paced as they would like her to be and she was sure her slowness prevented the crew from going inside that much longer.

By the mercy of God, Sig called the crew inside two hours later, and relief could be seen on everyone's face. Natalia was sure everyone just about hated her right now, though no one said as much. She figured they were being nice to her, because she had a good relationship with them all when she was a kid , the Anderson guy excluded.

Natalia was the last to leave the wet room, stripping her gear from her aching body slowly. She miserably made her way down to the galley, all desire to eat or even take shower gone. She just needed to sleep. Seeing that the guys were all seated around the table caused her to groan inwardly. They could kill her now, dump her body overboard, and no one would know a thing. She held her breath and decided to take her chances, moving quietly past them. Maybe if she just kept her head down and didn't say anything they'd be too tired to notice her. She was almost home free when Nick Mavar called out to her.

"Hey Nat ..."

Crap.

"Yeah?" She asked, turning her head slowly and was surprised to see a grin on his face.

"Good job today."

Natalia cocked her head to the side and blinked several times

"Umm...thank you?"

The crew seemed to be amused by her obvious confusement.

"You did good kid. Really." This time it was Edgar who spoke, a grin playing lightly on his beautiful face.

"Thanks guys. I'll try harder next time."

"Thats the kind of attitude we like." Matt said and winked at her before heading into his stateroom, Nick and Norman following close behind.

Jake decided to whip himself up something to eat and Edgar made his way over to Natalia who was still standing just outside their shared stateroom. He smiled at her and put a strong hand on her shoulder.

"Ready for bed?"

Natalia almost gaped at him, but quickly recovered her composure, realizing what he asked was in no way a sexual reference. She simply nodded and together they walked into their rooms, said their goodnights and climbed into their seperate beds. Natalia was mentally kicking herself for the way she'd been reacting to Edgar. She wasn't fucking little girl anymore and she was determined to not keep acting like it.

_"He doesn't like you like that. Get it through your head and move one!"_


	4. Attraction

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hola :) Hope Everyone is enjoying the story so far. Shoutouts to Irish & wishuy for the nice reviews :)

_"Pull yourself together!"_

This was probably the millionth time Edgar was mentally kicking himself today. He'd just tossed the hook and missed for the four time in a row. The entire day he'd been making little screw-ups like this, including giving inaccurate crab counts to Sig and putting juveniles and females into the holding tanks. Twice Nick had to correct Edgar on his error. Sig, of course, was not happy with his mishaps and let him know it incessantly. Though Edgar was fed up with his brother's attitude, he knew Sig's anger was also justified. Edgar took a deep breath, doing his best to clear his head, and tossed the hook for the 5th time, which to his relief, caught the line.

For the rest of the string, Edgar did his best to focus his attention to the task at hand. Yet several times he'd find his thoughts drifting to Natalia and soon enough he'd catch himself staring at her. She was hanging out by the bait station, watching as the crew hauled pots and sorted crab. The Northwestern grind had been in affect for a total of two weeks and everyday Edgar could see that Natalia was coming into her own.

If the truth were to be told, Edgar had not predicted Natalia making it as far as she had. Her first few days had been extremely hard on her, and as best as she tried to hide it, everyone knew she was in pain. She was too slow and she made a lot of rookie mistakes, but one thing everyone admired, is that she never once complained and always tried to give her best.

As he watched her now, Edgar felt a great deal of pride. True, Natalia wasn't the best greenhorn the Northwestern had been endowed with, let alone the best female, when it came to work ethic. Gia Hansen had very little difficulty adjusting to the crabbing life, though in all fairness, she'd been working the seafood/fishing industry in Alaska since her teens, while Natalia had zero expericence. She could long-range fish and she even worked on a lobster boat in Maine for a few years, but this was a completely different ball game and she'd been thrown for a loop.

Still, she was fighting through her obstacles and looking for no easy way out. Within the past two weeks, she was growing and Edgar saw genuine potential in her. He knew that she had "the want" and that everything else would fall into stride, just like he'd told her many years ago. The guys also held back on giving her a hard time, probably because they remembered her as the sweet little girl, who was always hanging around.

God, she was beautiful. Even when she was wrapped in 5 layers of clothing from top to bottom, and wearing boots and rain gear, Edgar swore he'd never been more attracted to a woman. He suddenly began to wonder what kind of lover she would make...

_"Stop it!" _He thought, mentally chastising himself.

She was a child. He'd known her from the time she was 10 until she was 13. Even though she was "all grown up" now, she was still a kid compared to him. What would a young 28 year old woman want with an old man of 40 years.

But, my oh my, how she had grown. She was filled out in all the right places and she'd possessed the face of a beauty queen. She had olive skin, hair as straight and black as the night sky, and eyes as brown as chocolate. God, how he loved her eyes. He remembered when she was a child and how her eyes filled with pleasure at the very sight of him. At the time he hadn't wanted that kind of attention. But now he found himself almost craving it. He wanted to see her eyes filled with pleasure at the sight of him, at the sound of his voice, at his very touch when he entered into her...

_"SHUT THE FUCK UP! CUT IT OUT!" _Edgar screamed to himself, angry with the effect that Natalia was unknowingly having on him. She still stood at the bait section, only she was now chatting it up with Ryan, the camera man, and she was laughing at one thing or another, seemingly without a care in the world. Edgar began to grow angry at her obvious disinterest in him and bitterly thought how ironic life was. As a child she'd loved him and wanted him for 3 years, but was unable to have him. And now that she was a grown woman, able to pursue a relationship with Edgar, she didn't want to. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"Well to hell with her!" Edgar decided. He could have his choice of any woman he wanted and didn't need to stress himself over her. Right now he needed to focus on his job and make his money. She was proving to be too much of a distraction and Edgar decided then and there, that the best way to forget her was to avoid her.

Still, it would be hard. They would be living together on this boat for the next month and a half at best, not to mention the fact that they shared a room together. Every now and then when Edgar would pretend to be asleep in his bunk, he'd watch her change. He'd only caught glimpses, due to the lack of light, but the little that he did see was enough to make him hard.

Edgar licked his lips as he imagined what she looked like naked and how it would feel to be inside her. He'd bet anything that she was tight. He'd bet anything that...

"EDGAR! Snap out of it bro." Matt Bradley said to his best friend. Edgar quickly shook his head, hoping to shake away the images that danced in his mind.

"What happened?"

"Dude, you didn't toss the hook. Now Sig's gotta turn the boat back around and you can guess he's not to happy about it. You okay?"

"Oh shit, really? Wow. Yeah I'm fine bro, just exhuasted."

Matt nodded and patted him on the back before walking away. Edgar chanced a quick glance to find Natalia looking at him, confused and amused. He looked away quickly and cursed under his breath.

_"Pull yourself together Edgar!"_


	5. Why So Serious?

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hey :) So just a heads up to Irish & wishuy, I decided to change the title of the story ( as you can obviously see) and I also changed up my summary. I was headed a certain direction with this story when I started out, but as I began writing it and getting in to it, I decided to go another route. The title I originally had and the summary doesn't fit with the way I'm writing it now. Just thought I'd let you what was up. Keep reading and most importantly, enjoy! :)

_"I wonder what his deal is.."_ Natalia thought to herself as she watched Edgar from her position at the bait station. She couldn't figure out why, been it seemed as if he had been avoiding her. Though one would think that would be next to impossible, given the circumstances, Edgar seemed to have "avoiding someone on a boat" mastered to perfection.

It all started a week ago. She'd notice how strange he'd been acting, making mistakes he had no excuse making, after 22 years of experience. Tossing the hook and missing repeatedly, incorrectly sorting crab, and not to mention giving Sig inaccurate crab counts. She'd often catch him in deep thought and even briefly fantasied that he was thinking about her. Yet, as quickly as that fantasy had come, it had left. She knew he'd never see her as more than a friend. Natalia had accepted that reality a long time ago.

Still, she was concerned about him. Maybe something was wrong. Maybe he'd gotten bad news from back home. Or maybe he just wasn't feeling well. Whatever the case, she'd try talk to him and see what it was that consumed his thoughts so entirely that he could barely focus on his job. The Bering Sea was not, and would never be, a place to lose focus.

When it was time to call it in for the day, everyone all but ran to the wet room and stripped off their gear. Ryan, the camera man, had cooked dinner that night and it was needless to say that everyone was more than ready to sit down to a hot meal. Everyone but Edgar. He'd made some excuse about not feeling so well and went straight to bed. The guys seemed to believe him, but Natalia was sure there was more to the excuse than he'd let on. After dinner she and Norman washed the dishes, in silence of course, as everyone else made their ways to their beds or to the shower. All the while she was thinking of Edgar and what could possibly be bothering him so much that he'd skipped out on dinner.

20 minutes later she and Norman had finished the dishes, wished each other a good night, and made their ways to their seperate staterooms. Natalia decided that she would ask Edgar what was going on with him. But when she entered the stateroom she'd found him to be fast asleep and she didn't have the heart to wake him. She stood staring at him a moment and was tempted to run her hand against his beautiful face. He was everything she would ever want and everything she would never have. Natalia sighed heavily and let her hand drop to her side. She quickly stripped from her work clothes and into her pajamas, deciding that she would speak to him the next day.

But the next day he'd avoided her. And the day after that. And the day after that. At first she'd thought she was imagining things. Edgar was, after all, the deckboss, and he had more important things to do than stand around and chat. But then she noticed that the only person who he'd never had time to speak to was her. He was friendly with everyone else, constantly cracking jokes with the boys, and he'd seemed to be his old self again. Natalia would've let the whole thing go, except now he was starting to get nasty with her. Yelling at her for being to slow, not baiting the pots properly, "spending more time doing interviews than her job". She'd wanted to confront him, but every time she tried, he was busy doing something or he was too tired to talk and would go straight to bed, leaving Natalia feeling dazed and confused.

_"Maybe I'm just being too sensitive." _she'd reasoned with herself. Still, a part of her couldn't shake that something wasn't right between the two of them. His attitude towards her seemed personal, though she knew no reason why'd he be upset with her.

Natalia shook her head and sighed as she watched Edgar from a distance, focusing her mind in the present. He was laughing and horsing around with Matt and Jake and he seemed to be in a better mood today then he'd been in all week. However that all soon changed.

"Hey guys! Why don't we let our greenhorn sort some crab today. I'd say she's earned it. What do ya' think?" Sig called over the loud hailer. Everyone screamed and nodded their approval. Everyone, except for Edgar. His smile and playfullness she'd seen moments earlier had disappeared, being exchanged with a frown and a serious demeanor. His gaze locked with her's and he sent her a look so cold, she'd actually shivered. And she'd bet her life on it that it had absolutely nothing to do with the temperature outside.

She was so surprised by the look of anger in Edgar's eyes that she literally could not move. Jake Anderson came over, big smile and all, and took her hand.

"You nervous?" he asked sweetly.

"Umm...yeah, you could say that."

"Don't be. Edgar will show you what to do."

_"Well that's comforting."_ she thought miserably.

Jake gave her hand a gentle tug in encouragement and together they walked hand in hand to the sorting table. The guys "Woo-hooed" and made stupid kissy faces at them as they approached. Natalia laughed nervously and Jake rolled his eyes.

"It's not like that you guys."

"Sure it's not." Matt laughed

"Whatever you say Jake." Nick added.

Jake rolled his eyes once more and released Natalia's hand.

"She's all yours Ed." Jake said, he and the rest of the crew returning to their tasks and previous conversations.

Natalia smiled at Edgar, trying her best to appear unphased by his scrutinizing glare. For a moment she'd almost thought he wasn't going to teach her but then he handed her a measuring stick and showed her how to distinguish females from males and adults from juveniles. She could see he wasn't pleased with her being at the sorting table so close to him, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why. She was mentally going over everything that had happened during the past three weeks at sea, trying to see what could have caused this abrupt change in attitude. Needless to say she kept coming up blank.

"Hey, focus! That's a female. We don't get paid for those, we get fined. Remember that next time or it'll be coming out of your paycheck." Edgar snapped and everyone looked at him, confusion on their faces.

"Sorry.." Natalia muttered, embarrassed. She suddenly found herself wishing that she was back at her sanctuary, the bait station. For the rest of the string, Natalia continued to help sort crab and Edgar continued to snap on her for every mistake. Even the crew seemed to be getting embarrassed for her and Nick twice told Edgar to "take it easy". Though she appreciated his heroism, she was sure it also fueled Edgar's anger towards her and he'd snap on her even harder.

Sig finally called the Northwestern crew inside and Natalia all but did a happy dance. She quickly stripped her gear and claimed the shower before anyone else had the chance to. As the hot water ran through her hair and down her body, unknotting the kinks in her muscles, Natalia sighed heavily.

_"This trip is not going to get any easier."_


	6. Knight in Shining Armor

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

One scene in this chapter will be similar to one in my last story so i hope you don't mind the repitition. Enjoy :)

_"Unbelievable! Un-fucking-believable!"_ Edgar thought angrily as he pulled in the last pot of the string. The Northwestern landed on good numbers and would be headed in to St. Paul Island as soon as they sorted the crab from this last pot and set it back.

It had been a week since Natalia had been allowed to help sort the crab and with every passing day Edgar's feelings for her had grown as well as his anger and resentment.

_"Typical Sig. I want to do things one way, he has to go ahead and do the exact opposite."_ Edgar thought as he set the pot back on the launcher and made his way over to the sorting table, standing on the opposite side of it from Natalia.

A few days before she'd been allowed to help sort the crab, Sig had pulled Edgar into the wheelhouse and asked him what he thought about Natalia sorting the catch. Since Edgar was her "mentor" he'd know better than anyone whether she was ready to take on added responsibilty or not. Egdar's automatic answer was to say yes she was ready, but he quickly stopped himself. The way he saw it, if he was going to avoid her, he didn't need her to be near him anymore than neccessary. Natalia was cosuming his thoughts more and more with every passing moment and his need for her sexually was becoming more than a little overbearing. Keeping her at the bait station far away from him was the best solution for them both. Best for him, because he could get over his growing attraction for Natalia and best for her, because she wouldn't find herself bent over the galley table, with him deep inside her. Atleast that's what he told himself.

So in the end, Edgar had told his brother that he didn't believe she was ready. Though Sig was skeptical of his brother's answer, he said he trusted his assessment and for the first few days after their little talk, Sig hadn't brought up Natalia's name again.

Edgar was in such high spirits, he had been laughing and joking around, getting back to his old self and for the first time he really thought this whole "crush" thing would fade. But as quickly as his elation had came, it left. Sig decided to ignore Edgar's wishes, overstep his boundaries and let Natalia sort crab. Edgar was so furious he almost thought he'd scream. He'd locked his gaze with Natalia's and all the walls he'd built up inside him were breaking down. One look from her and that's all it took.

It also didn't help when Junior decided to go over to her and give her some words of encouragement, as if she were "a damsel in distress". Who'd he think he was, her "knight in shining armor"? And then he had the nerve to hold her hand! Edgar temper flared and he was sure he'd lose it right then and there. It wasn't until Jake said "She's all yours Ed" that he'd finally been snapped out of his angry trance. Natalia came to stand by him ready to be given instruction and Edgar could see, even with the smile plastered on her face, that she was not too happy to be next to him. He wondered if she knew about his feelings for her and if she was disgusted by him. Did she think he was a dirty old man with a young woman as the object of his affections? After all he had known her since she was a child. Wasn't there some kind of rule against having feelings for girls you knew since before they had tits?

Edgar realized he'd been studying her just a moment too long and quickly handed her the measuring stick and went about giving her instructions, without any enthusiasm that he'd had just moments earlier. As the crew sorted the catch Natalia seemed deep in thought. _"No doubt counting down the minutes till she can be as far away from me as possible." _Edgar had thought bitterly. Every time she made a screw up he'd snapped on her. The crew was giving him funny looks and twice Nick had told him to "take it easy" which only angered him more. Edgar's suspicions that she didn't want to be near him had been confirmed as soon as Sig had called in the crew. Natalia all but ran into the wet room, stripped her gear in a haste, and locked herself into the bathroom for a shower. Edgar miserably made his way to their shared stateroom and dropped into his bunk, falling into a fitful sleep.

Now a week had passed and Edgar had come to face some hard truths within that time period. He wasn't just attracted to Natalia, he had genuine feelings for her. He loved her fighting spirit and the determined look she got in her eyes every time it seemed as if she were about to give up. He loved her smile and the way she laughed. He loved how her cheeks turned an adorable shade of red from the cold and the way her straight, black hair sometimes whipped across her face as they escaped from under her hoodie. She was smart, she was compassionate and she was understanding. She was tough, she was reliable, she was funny and she was everything Edgar could ever want and never have.

Edgar sighed heavily to himself as he glanced at Natalia standing at the other side of the sorting table. She was laughing at something Matt had said and she nearly took his breath away. She always looked her best when she laughed. Edgar was so transfixed on her face that he'd barely notice the pot, that was still on the launcher, shaking. Before he'd even had time to blink the pot had slipped from the launcher and was about crush Natalia to the table. Edgar didn't even have the time to issue a warning when another figure collided with Natalia's body and then fell to the floor, the pot missing them by a mere second. All was quiet and then suddenly noise erupted from every direction. Sig screaming through the loud hailer, the crew screaming, the cameramen screaming. And strangely enough, through all that chaos, laughter could be heard. Everyone rushed over to the heap of bodies on the floor and found Jake and Natalia laughing hysterically. Partly from nerves and partly from relief. Norman went to let Sig know that they were fine while the rest of the crew helped them up and checked to see if they were okay. Jake and Natalia assured them they were fine and soon the other guys were laughing along with them. Edgar, however, was frozen where he stood. He watched as the crew laughed and he couldn't see what was so funny. Was he the only one who had seen what just happened?

Edgar watched as Natalia smiled and hugged Jake with gratitude and relief. Jake was brushing it off, acting all humble and shit. Before he knew it, Natalia took Jake's face between both her hands and pulled him in for a kiss. The crew laughed, cheered and "woo-hooed" and Edgar's temperature flared. He was two seconds from getting ready to rip them apart when Sig's voice boomed over the loud hailer.

"I'm glad to see you two lovebirds are okay." he said, laughter and relief in his voice "Now let's set that last pot in the water, finish sorting the crab, and head to the Island for offload."

"Roger!" Everyone cried in unison, crew and cameramen. Everyone happily returned to their tasks at hand and soon went inside to relax and enjoy a dinner Matt had started cooking an hour before. It was all smiles and laughs with the Northwestern crew. Needless to say, Edgar had not joined in on the happy celebration. He went straight to his room and dropped into his bunk, more miserable than ever.

_"Once again Junior's her knight in shining armor."_


	7. Dancing With Myself

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hey DC Family :) Thanks to everyone for all the awesome reviews and support . Glad that you've been able to stay happy with me so far. Hopefully as the story continues everyone stays satisfied. Guess there's only one way to find out! Here's the next chapter :)

"Alright everyone. The offload isn't going to be finished for another few hours, five tops. So go to St. Paulie's pub and enjoy yourselves. But not too much. You still got work in the morning. Okay?"

"Yes Sig." The crew replied in a tone that suggested they'd heard this speech more than once before.

Sig grimanced at his crew "There's no need for the sarcastic tone."

Everyone chuckled, one by one making their way out of the wheelhouse. The only one to hang back was Norman, who was talking to his older brother about one thing or another. Natalia noticed and hung back to watch them. Both Hansens sensed her presence at the same time.

"You need something Nat?" Sig asked.

"No. I was just wondering why you guys aren't coming with us to the bar?"

"Well somebody's gotta watch the boat."

"Yeah. And I'm gonna keep watch on the brailers and weights. The proccessors like to cheat you sometimes." Norman said.

"Okay. Just checking." Natalia said with a smile.

"Don't worry about us kid. Go and have some fun." Sig said, ruffling her hair as he'd done to her many times in her youth.

Natalia shot him a dirty look and both he and Norman laughed.

"She never liked that." Norman said chuckling.

"Sorry, forgot." Sig said, humor in his voice.

Natalia rolled her eyes at him and exited the wheelhouse from the door that led directly to the deck, Norman following close behind. They chatted for a few moments before she decided it was time to head over to the pub. She noticed a figure standing over the rail and when she squinted her eyes, she was able to make out exactly who it was.

"Hey Jake, what are you doing here?" she asked as she hopped over the rail and onto the dock.

"I noticed that you weren't with the group and I didn't think it was safe for you to walk to the bar by yourself. 'Specially since you never been here before."

" Aww, thank you Jake. Now who said chivalry was dead?" she asked rhetorically.

"Certainly not me."

Jake and Natalia laughed and made their way to St. Paulie's, arm in arm, laughing and joking all the way. They'd just made it to the bar when Natalia stopped and turned to face Jake. He looked at her, confused as to why she'd suddenly stopped walking.

"Jake, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You know the other day..when I kissed you. You know that it didn't mean anything more than us being friends right? I mean, you saved my life and everything, and I was just so relieved and my nerves were all over the place that I just kissed you spontaniously. But it didn't mean anything...atleast nothing more than that I appreciate you for saving my life and that you're a good friend."

The look of confusion on Jake's face soon turned to one of amusement. He started to laugh and it was Natalia's turn to be confused.

"Umm...so I take it you never even considered me that way, huh?"

"Not in the least bit." Jake said, still laughing.

"Gee, thanks." Natalia muttered.

"No, no. Dont take it the wrong way. I mean you're beautiful and a real great girl and everything. But I never thought that the kiss was anything more than a simple kiss between two friends who shared a near death experience."

"Well that's good to know. Except now I feel like an asshole."

"Don't worry about it. In fact, I thought if anyone got the wrong idea about the kiss it would be you."

"Me?" she asked incredulously.

"Well sure. It's so easy for a girl to fall for me once she's got even the tiniest taste. I mean, for one thing I'm gorgeous. Drop-dead gorgeous, you might even say. I've got the blue eyes to make a woman melt on the spot and let's be honest, my body is killer. I've got a good job, I'm hard working and I'm sensitive to the ladies."

"And humble. Let's not forget humble." Natalia said through laughter.

"That too." Jake said smiling "Now are you ready to go inside or what?"

"Ready."

With that, the two friends once again locked arms and stepped into the somewhat crowded St. Paulies pub and made their way over to their crew. Everyone already had their choice of drink and Jake offered to get Natalia her's while he also went to order his.

"I'll take a root beer."

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

"Are you serious?" Matt was the first to speak.

"What?" Natalia asked confused.

"A root beer? You're going to drink a root beer?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"We're in a bar and you're asking for a fountain drink?"

"I don't drink alcohol, so yeah I'm getting a root beer." Natalia said defensively and that was all it took. Everyone burst out laughing and even Natalia had to join in.

"Kiss my ass." She said with mock offense

"Big words coming from the root beer girl." Nick said jokingly

"Would you like a straw with that?" Matt chimed in.

"Maybe we should put it in a sippy cup" Nick said, laughing harder.

"Alright, alright guys. Leave her alone." Jake said, though it was obvious he'd found the situation just as funny.

"We're just messin' with her." Matt said, giving Natalia a playful noogie.

She fought her way out of it and punched him in the arm. Everyone laughed and soon the entire crew was sitting around the table, drinking their drinks, talking shit, and having a good time. Even Edgar seemed to be in a better mood. Not exactly great, but definitely better. A few lady "fans" made their way to the crew's table and started situating theirselves on each crew members lap, Natalia excluded. She said nothing, but she couldn't deny that it hurt her to see how much Edgar was eating up the attention of the groupie on his lap. She was thin, blond, her eyes were blue and her name was Candice. She was the perfect stereo-type of the all-American girl. For the most part, girls like Candice didn't bother Natalia, but seeing her with Edgar definitely made Natalia feel self-concious. Natalia was a thick girl, filled out in all the right places, and she worked out constantly to keep herself in shape. Her hair was black, her eyes were brown and she'd never found herself to be a beauty queen. As a child and even to her later teens, Natalia had gone through a horrible development stage. Her mother called it the "awkward stage". Natalia called it the "ugly stage". Since she was about 6-16 years old, Natalia had eczema, so her skin would sometimes break out in a rash. She wore long sleeved shirts and jeans year-round, and her body hadn't developed until a little before she turned 17. When she was a child, the other children made fun of her and said she'd had cooties. As a teenager, though she'd actually had a lot of friends, boys & girls alike, none of the guys took special interest in her. She went to every school dance and holiday party and no one had ever asked her to dance. Not once.

Natalia thought she'd gotten over those insecurities a long time ago, but seeing Edgar with Candice, who preferred to be called "Candy", was a fast reminder of everything that made her feel bad about herself. She often envied girls like "Candy". Skinny, blonde, pretty. She didn't even have to be smart and yet she had every guy in the world at her dispense, asking her to dance. And now she had Edgar and they were standing in the middle of the bar, swaying back and forth to a slow song. The rest of the crew was also on the floor with their complementary bimbo and Natalia was once again left on the sidelines, waiting for a dance, specifically from Edgar. She'd even sought out his gaze once, but he'd barely glanced at her before he looked away.

She knocked back another root beer and sighed heavily. The bartender who'd been serving them drinks for the evening stopped by the table to ask Natalia if she wanted another drink.

"Sure, why not.." she said half-heartedly, giving a small smile.

"Hey, why aren't you out there dancing too honey?" the bartender asked, whose name tag read "Gigi".

"Nobody asked me." Natalia shrugged, sadness evident in her voice.

Gigi patted her on the back and said "That's okay honey. Sometimes you just have to dance with yourself, you know what I mean?"

With that she walked away, got Natalia another drink, set it on the table and walked away again smiling. As Natalia knocked back her drink, she began thinking about what Gigi had said to her and then suddenly she got an idea.

5 minutes later the slow song had ended and the crew drifted back to the table, their bimbos in tow. Matt signaled the bartender for another round, which she quickly supplied them with. The crew was so out of breath and so transfixed with their girls, that they'd barely noticed Natalia at the table. Nick was the first to realize she was still sitting there.

"What's a matter sweety? No one ask you to dance?"

"Nope." She said smiling and suddenly rose from the table. Everyone looked at her curiously but their attentions were once again consumed by the women on their laps.

Suddenly there were the sounds of guitars and drums blaring from the jukebox and Natalia swaying with the music. She was the only one on the dance floor as she began dance and sing along with Billy Idol.

_"On the floor of Tokyo  
>Or down in London town to go, go<br>With the record selection  
>And the mirror's reflection<br>I'm dancing with myself_

_When there's no-one else in sight  
>In the crowded lonely night<br>Well I wait so long  
>For my love vibration<br>And I'm dancing with myself_

_Oh dancing with myself  
>Oh dancing with myself<br>Well there's nothing to lose  
>And there's nothing to prove<br>I'll be dancing with myself_

_If I looked all over the world  
>And there's every type of girl<br>But your empty eyes  
>Seem to pass me by<br>Leave me dancing with myself_

_So let's sink another drink  
>'Cause it'll give me time to think<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>And I'll be dancing with myself_

_Oh dancing with myself  
>Oh dancing with myself<br>Well there's nothing to lose  
>And there's nothing to prove<br>I'll be dancing with myself "_

Natalia was so lost in the music and her crazy dancing that she'd hardly realized that Gigi, the bartender, was dancing beside her. They smiled at each other and sang to the top of their lungs.__

_"If I looked all over the world  
>And there's every type of girl<br>But your empty eyes  
>Seem to pass me by<br>Leave me dancing with myself_

_So let's sink another drink  
>'Cause it'll give me time to think<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>And I'll be dancing with myself_

_Oh dancing with myself  
>Oh dancing with myself<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance"<em>

The next thing Natalia knew the dance floor was filled with every type of girl you could imagine. From thick to slim, blonde to brunette, young to middle age, black and white and everything in between. Girls she'd noticed earlier who had also been sitting by themselves. Girls, who probably never got asked to dance either. The dance floor was jammed pack, everyone laughing and singing and letting loose.__

_"Dancing with myself  
>Dancing with myself<br>Dancing with myself  
>Dancing with myself"<em>

"Come on! Everybody know!" Natalia screamed to the ladies on the floor and they all sang in unison.__

_"If I looked all over the world  
>And there's every type of girl<br>But your empty eyes  
>Seem to pass me by<br>Leave me dancing with myself_

_So let's sink another drink  
>'Cause it'll give me time to think<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>And I'll be dancing with myself_

_Oh dancing with myself  
>Oh dancing with myself<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance<br>If I had the chance  
>I'd ask the world to dance"<em>

Natalia smiled as she danced and looked around her, thinking of the years she'd been waiting for someone to dance with.

_"Definitely worth the wait."_

**A/N: I hope everyone liked this chapter! I also seriously recommend listening to this song when you get a chance if you haven't heard it already. It's called "Dancing with myself" by Billy Idol .**


	8. Virgin Mary

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Sorry this update has taken soooo long. I've been busy and also dealing with a serious case of writers block. It happens to all the great ones I suppose, lol jk. I also want to take the time to shout out , wildviolet,wishuy, narraizone, amc32 and Irish for the awesome reviews and support :) Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter and again sorry for the delay.

"Alright guys I'd say were good. Let's call it in." Sig announced through the loud hailer as the crew sorted through the last of their catch. It was four days since their offload at St. Paul and the crew had been in good spirits. It was always good to reconnect to the real world and enjoy themselves, no matter how momentary. Everyone quickly stripped their gear, made their way to the galley and sat down to a hot meal that was prepared by Matt.

After dinner was over, Natalia removed the dirty dishes from the table and placed them into the sink. She was about to wash them when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see a smiling Jake with a plate full of food in his hands.

" I ate plenty at dinner Jake, but thanks." She said with a laugh.

Jake's grin broadened as he shook his head.

"It's not for you, it's for Sig. Why dont you take this up to him and let me do these." He said, gesturing his head towards the dirty dishes.

"You're the best Jacob." Natalia said, taking the plate from his hand and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Since she'd gotten on the boat Natalia had been assigned to "dish duty" and it was needless to say that it was not her favorite chore. She stepped past Jacob and saw Edgar and Nick still sitting at the table. Though they were deep in conversation Edgar's eyes were on her. Natalia continued to walk past them, hoping to appear unphased by his beautiful face and made her way into the wheelhouse. As she made her way to the top of the stairs she found Sig leaning forward in his chair and rubbing his eyes roughly. When he looked up and spotted Natalia, or more appropriately, the plate of food in her hands, his eyes visibly brightened. She gave him his food and sat on the bench behind him in silence, watching as the Northwestern voyaged through the Bering Sea. About 20 minutes later Sig yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes, looking worn out.

"You want me to get someone to take the wheel?"

"No, I want you to take it."

"Me?" Natalia asked with surprise and delight.

"Yeah, you" Sig said with a smirk "You've done wheel watch when you worked on the lobster boats back in Maine right?"

"Yeah."

"Well it's basically the same procedure for a crab boat."

"Cool." Natalia said, jumping up excitedly.

Sig smiled at her enthusiasm, placed a lazy kiss on her forehead and began to make his way from the wheelhouse.

"I'll send Junior up in an hour to take over for you. I don't want you getting overwhelmed with excitement."

"Very funny." Natalia said, rolling her eyes which caused Sig to chuckle as he left the wheelhouse.

For the next hour Natalia was left to man the ship and was doing a good job of it, if she did say so herself. She heard footsteps creaking up the staircase and knew her replacement had arrived. Though she enjoyed wheel watch she also enjoyed sleep and was more than happy to trade places with the next guy. She temporarily closed her eyes as she leaned back into the captains chair, the need for sleep growing greater.

"Nat?" Edgar said from behind her, making her jump upright.

"I wasn't sleeping!" She said urgently and to her surprise Edgar gave her a small grin.

"Relax, I know. You're not in trouble or anything."

" Oh " She said, confused and then as an after thought said "I thought Jake was taking the wheel."

Natalia noticed that as soon as Jake's name was mentioned Edgar's smile disappeared.

"Change of plans." He muttered.

" Oh " she said again, rising akwardly from the captain's chair as Edgar took her place. She continued to stand beside him as he sat down, trying to decide what to say to him, if anything at all. She finally settled on a simple goodnight and turned to leave the wheelhouse.

"You like him."

"What?" She asked, turning back around to face him.

"You like Junior." He stated matter-of-factly, keeping his eyes on the Bering Sea.

"Who told you that?"

"Nobody has to tell me anything. I see the way you two are with eachother."

"Well then you need glasses."

Edgar turned to look at her, his face questioning.

"So you don't like him?"

Natalia's immediate response was to sat "no" but instead asked a question of her own.

"Why does it matter to you Edgar?"

He turned from her then, shrugging in response. Natalia rolled her eyes and decided to leave.

"Wait" Edgar said when he noticed her leaving "You didn't answer my question."

"You didnt answer mine."

Edgar sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"I care about you Nat.."

Natalia was elated, doing her best to refrain from smiling.

"When I look at you..." Edgar continued "I still see the kid who hung around the docks, helping prep the boat, seeing us off. You're still my little buddy and I just want to look out for you."

And with those words, as quickly as Natalia's happiness came, it left. She went from elated to deflated to downright irritated. Edgar read the emotions on her face and frowned in confusion.

"Good night Edgar." She said stiffly.

"What's the matter with you?"

"I am not a child!" She snapped so suddenly that Edgar's mouth dropped open at the outlash. "I'm not your little buddy!" Natalia said, continuing her rampage "I'm not the little girl hanging around the docks hoping to get a moment of your time! I'm a grown woman now incase you haven't noticed and-"

Natalia's rantings were soon interrupted by Edgar's lips capturing hers. She was momentarily stunned and didn't respond at first, but soon she found herself getting lost in his kiss and let out a low moan that was barely audible, even to her own ears. She wound her arms around Edgar's neck as he lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He placed her on the bench behind the captain's chair, and his mouth left her lips and started exploring the base of her neck to the curves of her voluptuous breast. Natalia shuddered slightly at the feel of Edgar's mouth eveloping her nipple. She ran her hand through his hair and breathed heavily. Edgar began to tug at her sweatpants, and slipped his hand inside her panties, slowly inserting a finger inside of her. She was tighter than he'd expected and if he didn't know any better he'd swear she was a...

"Ouch." Natalia said in a small voice yet Edgar heard her. He stopped to look into her eyes, trying to read her expression.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, a little too reassuringly. Edgar looked at her a moment longer before shrugging off his suspicions and resuming action.

"Ow, shit." Natalia muttered, clenching her teeth together. Edgar stopped what he was doing again, looking her dead on in her eyes.

"Natalia, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Edgar was not buying it in the least and the look he gave her said as much. Natalia sighed heavily and looked away from his gaze.

"It's just that...I...Well I'm... Im a..."

Suddenly it dawned on Edgar and he took his finger from inside of her.

"You're...a virgin?"

Natalia nodded her head and it was clear that she was embarrassed by her lack of experience. It all made sense to Edgar now as to why she was so tight and why when he fingered her she was uncomfortable. _"She doesn't even masterbait!"_ Edgar thought frantically, feeling like the biggest pervert of all time. This proved more than anything how much of an innocent she still was and for a brief moment when Edgar looked at Natalia, he saw the child he once knew sitting in front of him, looking shy and insecure. He backed away from her and resumed his position in the captain's chair, his back to her. It was completely silent in the wheel house for several moments.

"Edgar...?"

"You should leave...Get some sleep."

His voice was devoid of emotion and Natalia sighed heavily but said no more. She left the wheelhouse, went to her stateroom and jumped into her bed, no longer feeling tired but instead depressed and a little sore between her legs. Meanwhile up in the wheel house, Edgar was mentally kicking himself for letting things go so far between Natalia and himself.

_"She's a virgin! She doesn't finger herself! The girl orders root beers in a bar for fuck's sake! She is a child! and you Edgar are a bad, bad, dirty old man.."_ Edgar groaned outwardly, feeling lower than dirt.

_"I just defiled the Virgin Mary."_


	9. The Solution

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hi DC family ! Im glad you all enjoyed the update and Thank you for the reviews :) I know this is late but Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to everybody! I hope you enjoyed the holidays, your families and friends :) BTW Edgar now officially has Twitter so for all you Twitter heads / Edgar lovers, you can follow him deckbossEH . On another note, today is my BIRTHDAY! YAY! So I think that the best present you lovely ladies could leave me are some beautiful reviews, even if this chapter is a little blah .

The Northwestern was making her way to another string and the crew used the down time to lounge in the wet room, half the crew eating a snack and the other half catching a few precious moments of shut eye. Natalia fell into the latter group, hoping to get back some of the sleep she was unable to attain last night. Her "make-out session" with Edgar had left her awake half the night and she was suffering the consequences for it now.

Sitting in a cramped corner of the wet room, her head on Nick's shoulder, she tried to enjoy the few moments of rest and not think about the man whose lips had claimed hers just hours before. Tried to enjoy the few precious moments to relax her weary bones.

"Alright my lovely, loyal slaves! We're at our next string, let's get crackin'." Sig's unbelievably, irritating voice blared over the loud hailer.

_"So much for that.." _Natalia thought miserably as she took Nick's helping hand and stood up to head outside.

The crew marched outside to the unforgiving elements of the Bering Sea.

"It's fucking cold out here!" Natalia grumbled, earning a smirk from Matt.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"Couldn't even fucking sleep.." Natalia snapped, mumbling half to herself , half to Matt.

"She finally crackin'?" Nick asked, observing Natalia's uncharacteristic behavior.

"Look's like it." Matt said, nodding his head.

"What's the matter with Nat?" Jake asked, noticing the angry look on her face and the way she was mumbling to herself.

"Job's finally getting to her. Weather, lack of sleep, physco Sig, all that shit." Matt said, rubbing his eyes and Jake nodded.

"Okay ladies, enough chit chat! Let's get to work." Edgar said, walking over to the crew. The boys rolled their eyes and went off in seperate directions while Natalia stood where she was, still mumbling to herself, unaware of Edgar approaching her.

"Hey.."

Natalia jumped slightly upon hearing Edgar's voice. She looked up at his face with gaurded eyes.

"Hi."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"For starters, your talking to yourself."

"Just got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah..." Edgar glanced away from Natalia momentarily "Listen I want to talk to you...about last night."

"Okay..?" Natalia was surprised and a simple "ok" was the best she could manage. Edgar read the surprise on her face and gave her a small smile.

"We'll talk later..okay?"

"Okay." she said again and Edgar nodded before walking off.

The next 40 hours were absolute torture for Natalia and it had absolutely nothing to do with the weather, lack of sleep, or Sig's bitching. Natalia wanted nothing more at the moment than to talk to Edgar. She had no idea what he wanted to say and it left her feeling excited, anxious, and nervous all at once. But she decided she wouldn't get her hopes up and decided she'd play it cool with Edgar.

When Sig finally called the crew in, everyone sat down to eat, Natalia eating her food slowly and everyone noticed.

"You feeling okay Nat?" Nick asked, genuinely concerned "You feel sick?"

"No, I'm fine." She said, taking another small bite of her food and chewing it slowly. She didn't want to appear over anxious to speak with Edgar even though that's exactly how she felt. After dinner, she washed the dishes (slowly) and then went to take a long hot shower.

She entered into her stateroom and it was empty so she dropped her towel and began to dress. She had only sweatpants and a bra on when Edgar walked in the room. His eyes gazed over her body intently as he slowly closed the door. Though Natalia's heart was racing she did her best to appear unaffected by Edgar's gaze and confidently turned to face him head on.

"You wanted to talk?"

Natalia wanted to pat herself on the back for sounding as cool, calm, and collected as she did.

"Uh..yeah I did... I do."

"Go ahead then."

"About last night..."

"Yes."

"I've come up with a solution."

"A solution?" Nat was beyond confused and Edgar read it on her face.

"Just hear me out okay?"

All she could do was nod.

"I'm attracted to you...obviously...and after last night I think it's fair to say you're attracted to me."

"I am..but I don't exactly see where you're..."

"I think we should date." Edgar blurted it out so quick Natalia wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"You...think..we should date?"

"Unofficially."

"Unofficially? What the hell does that mean?" Natalia sat down on her bunk, her confusion weighing her down. Edgar walked over to his bunk and sat down as well, looking over Natalia's still exposed upper half before speaking.

"Just listen. Since you've gotten on this boat, you've had me all twisted up inside. I've been fighting this attraction for you since day one and as you can see it's been affecting my work, my attitude, everything. "

Though Nat thrilled to hear the words Edgar had spoken, words she'd wanted to hear her whole life, she was also left feeling confused. If he was so attracted to her, why didn't he want to be?

"Why Edgar?"

"Why what?" He asked, confused by her question.

"Why don't you want to be attracted to me? Why are you fighting it?"

"Because it's wrong." He said simply "I've known you since you were 11. Maybe that doesn't seem wrong to you but it damn sure feels wrong to me."

"So then why are you suggesting we date?"

"To get it out of our systems. The way I see it, people want something most when they can't have it. So, if we were to "date" I'd eventually lose interest in you and you would get sick of me. Incase you haven't noticed I'm 40, never been married and never kept a girlfriend. Despite your attraction to me now, once we start dating eventually you'd be disillusioned and never want to see me again."

Though Natalia doubted it, she didn't say as much. Instead she asked "So how does the "unofficially" part work?"

"You asked that at just the right time." Edgar said, rubbing his hands together in excitement "I dont think that either of us should take this seriously, hence the "unofficial" part. We'd still have the right to see other people, not have any responsibilities towards each other the way normal couples do and either of us can end this anytime we want, no quetions asked. Lets just keep this thing casual, have fun, eventually get this attraction out of our systems and when it's all said and done we'd still be friends."

Natalia sat in silence as she let everything Edgar said to her sink in. On the one hand she was thrilled. It was like a dream come true, her and Edgar finally together. Except they wouldn't be together..not really. Atleast not in the ways that mattered. He'd still be free to be with other women and although she had the same rights it isn't what she wanted. But then again, maybe he was on to something. Maybe this was just some built up attraction that seemed bigger than what it really was because they were fighting it so hard. Maybe if they did just explore whatever it was that was going on between them, eventually the attraction would fizzle out, they'd still be friends and could say they had some fun together while it lasted. But Natalia had never thought of herself as the one to do the casual thing, could she start now? She had no idea how she'd take it once Edgar "lost interest" in her, as he put it. Would she turn back into the same pre-teen, head-over-heels lovesick girl from all those years ago? It seemed like too big a risk to take...but at the same time it seemed a big risk to not take the chance at all.

"Nat? Say something...What do you think?"

Natalia finally looked at Edgar and smiled.

"Alright, let's do it."

She put out her hand for Edgar to shake but instead she found herself being pulled forward and placed upon his lap.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of this..." his voice was heavy as he kissed her mouth hungrily, grabbing her hips to pull her closer to him. She moaned and she ran a hand through his hair but quickly pulled herself back. Edgar gave her a look of confusion and frustration.

"I don't think we should..."

"Dont worry." Edgar said, cutting her off "I'm not going to take your virginity unless you're sure and unless you're ready. Okay?"

"Okay."

Edgar smiled at her, before pulling her in for another searing kiss that left her breathless. This time Edgar was the one to pull away.

"I think we should get some sleep. You don't seem like you function too well without it." He said with a chuckle, referring to her grumpy mood hours earlier. Though Natalia wanted to argue and say she wasn't tired, she was and she'd already missed out on enough sleep.

"Alright." she said, giving him a deep kiss "Good night."

She was about to get off his lap when she felt his grasp tighten on her. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrow.

"Where you goin'?" Edgar asked with a smile.

"Umm...to bed."

Edgar then flipped her over so that she was laying down beside him.

"You'll sleep with me."

Natalia loved the authority she heard in his voice and the feel of his body next to hers.

"I need to get a shirt Edgar. It's cold."

With that he leaned over the side of his bunk and shuffled through his dufflebag momentarily before handing her a black shirt with "EDGAR" printed in white across it. Natalia examined the shirt and smirked, an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"You have a shirt with your name printed across it."

"Yeah, so?"

"Nobody does that." she said with a laugh and he smiled

"Well they should. Now put it on so we can go to sleep."

Natalia quickly pulled the oversized shirt over her head and snuggled into Edgar's arms. He kissed her soundly on the forehead but said nothing else. As excited as Nat was, she surprisingly fell into a deep slumber quickly. The last thing she remembered thinking was..

_"I couldn't have come up with a better solution myself."_


	10. Close To You

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Hey everyone! Thank you for the reviews ;) Also I wanted to say that in my last chapter I made a mistake. Edgar says he knew Natalia since she was 11 but actually he knew her since she was 10 . Totally my fault, not paying attention. Dont know if anyone else noticed but I JUST realized it now and just wanted to point out the error on my part so I apologize. Anyway here is the next chapter of our story, I hope you enjoy ;)

Edgar stirred slightly as he began to awake from his sleep and could no longer feel the warm body that had been enveloped in his arms hours before. Eyes still closed, he outstretched his arms, and began to feel around the mattress, frowning when he didn't find what he wanted.

"Lookin' for me?"

Edgar flipped over on his side to see Natalia sitting on her bunk.

"What the hell are you doing over there?" he asked, still frowning.

"Good morning to you too beautiful."

"Would've been a better morning if you'd been next to me when I woke up."

"My my, somebody's grumpy." Nat taunted and the scowl on Edgar's face increased.

"Come over here."

Natalia did as she was told and straddled him, her hands resting on his chest as he grabbed her by the hips, making circular motions with his thumbs against her skin. They remained that way for a few quiet moments, just savoring the feel of one another. Edgar was the first to break the comfortable silence.

"Why were you on your bed instead of with me?"

"Disappointed were you?" she asked with a grin and Edgar shrugged even though disappointment is exactly what he'd felt and the annoyance he'd displayed towards her had given him away.

"Just curious."

"Yeah, sure."

"You gonna answer me or not?" His irritation at her evasiveness evident.

Nat smirked at being able to get a rise out of him and ran a hand down his beautiful face. "I just got in from working and I didn't want to get back in the bed and wake you up."

Edgar's face scrunched up in confusion "What do you mean you just got in from working?"

"We've been fishing for the past 36 hours." she stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" Edgar sat upright with a quickness that made Nat lean back and blink in surprise.

"What? What did I say?"

"We've been fishing for the past 36 hours and nobody told me? Nobody thought to wake me up? I'm the deckboss!"

"Edgar, relax." Natalia ran her hands up his chest and to his shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze "You told Sig you needed to take it easy this season right? Well this is letting you take it easy."

Edgar shook his head in disbelief.

_"Since when does Sig follow through on his promises? Since when is he this generous?"_

Nat read his look of disbelief and grinned.

"Edgar, enjoy it. Don't question it."

"I know, I just can't believe it. How the hell did this happen?"

"I convinced him."

Edgar's eyes narrowed "You convinced him?"

"Yup"

"And HOW exactly did you do that?"

"I have my ways of persuasion.." Natalia wiggled her eyebrows as she teased him.

"Persuasion how?" He asked, eyes narrowing into slits.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Edgar grabbed Natalia by her hips and flipped her over so fast she gasped in surprise. Her heart was racing as Edgar placed his hands on either side of her face, and leaned forward, his face inches from hers. His breath on her skin left her feeling lightheaded and for a moment it was a struggle to form a coherent thought. His eyes were intense, filled with lust and something else...jealousy?

"You think your funny?" Edgar said, as he placed kisses down her neck to her collerbone, causing her to shiver.

"I was just joking.." Nat said, breathing heavily as she ran a hand through Edgar's hair.

"You'd better be." His voice was husky with a dominance that made Natalia tingle in a very special place.

Edgar kissed her softly on her lips, taking his time, not showing the same urgency he'd had the first time they kissed. He ran his hands slowly down her body, and began to peel away the clothes she wore, eventually leaving her in nothing but her bra and underwear. Though Natalia was confused and more than a little embarrassed about her exposure she said nothing as she watched Edgar then strip the clothing away from his own beautiful body, only his boxers remaining. He layed himself next to her as he ran his hands over her body. He loved how her skin was so soft, her skin as smooth as silk. And at the same time her body was toned, muscled, hard from the endurance she put up against the Bering Sea. Her body was the perfect combination of sensual and tough and Edgar swore he'd never been so turned on by a female in his life. She was full figured, not typically the type he was in to but there was a first time for everything and Edgar was definitely liking what he was seeing...and feeling.

"Edgar?" Natalia's voice broke him from his trance and he blinked several times as he realized she was speaking to him.

"Hmmm?"

"Why are we half naked?"

Edgar shrugged as he continued to explore her body with his hands and eyes, "I just wanna feel you...see you...be close to you."

Natalia seemed content with his answer as she didnt say anything else. Just watched Edgar's calloused hands trail over her skin, sure he was unaware of the effect he was having on her, the fire he was setting through her body.

"How many hours until we get back to work?" Edgar asked, stifling a yawn.

Natalia shrugged "Awhile I guess, gotta take Jake to the hospital first."

Edgar's head jerked up immediately "Hospital? Why?"

"He's been throwing up the past 36 hours. Could just be food poisoning but Sig doesnt wanna take any chances and wants to get him checked out."

"Where's Junior now?" Edgar asked, realizing Jake was not in the bunk above his own.

"Sig let him sleep in his room, believe it or not. Said it would be more comfortable for him."

Edgar's mouth nearly dropped to the floor and Natalia grinned.

"You're brother has his moments Edgar."

"Since when?" Edgar asked rhetorically, baffled by Sig's generosity.

Natalia simply smiled and climed on top of Edgar, her body flush against his own, giving him a kiss before laying her head down on his chest.

"Sleepin' on me now?"

"Yup."

"Mattress too lumpy for you?" he asked with a chuckle

"Nah.." Natalia said, smiling into Edgar's chest "Just wanna be close to you."


	11. You're Mine

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Glad everyone has been able to stay happy with me so far :) I know I was on hiatus for awhile but Im back in action, thanks to ALL you wonderful women who keep me inspired :) Much love and respect to you all ;) Since Kharissa dedicated her most recent chapter to me I'm dedicating this one to her :-* Hope you like it my dear :) Okay okay, enough with all the chit chat , now SHUT UP & READ!

36 hours later Natalia found herself sitting in the waiting room of the small hospital in Saint Paul Island. She was definitely worried about Jake, but tried her best not to coddle him on their way over to the hospital, knowing his "tough guy" reputation wouldn't allow it. Since the Northwestern would be docked for the night Sig had allowed the rest of the crew to get drinks from the nearby bar while Jake went to get checked out.

As soon as the crew had stepped foot off the boat a group of young "ladies" had appeared from thin air and immediately swarmed around the guys, Edgar included. He had immediately wrapped his arm around a thin, young blonde and whispered something in her ear which caused her to giggle. Natalia stood staring at the two for a moment, waiting to see if Edgar would turn around, notice that she was no longer with him, but he didn't. For a hot moment, she was furious...but then anger turned to sadness and disappointment. She couldn't be mad at Edgar for eating up the attention the life-sized barbie was so willingly giving to him. They'd both agreed that what they had was unofficial, casual, and that they had the right to see other people. But one night sleeping in Edgar's arms and she knew nothing else would compare, noone else would ever stir the kind of emotions Edgar created inside her everytime they kissed, nor could they thrill her and soothe her at the same time the way Edgar did, everytime he moved his hands over her body. When their bodies touched, bare skin against bare skin, it created more than a sexual feeling. It was intimacy, a way of being close to each other, and it was beautiful. Natalia was now mentally kicking herself for feeling more than she was supposed to. She knew this would happen but she couldnt say no to Edgar, to the chance of being with Edgar, even though they weren't really "together". She sighed heavily as she had watched him walk away and decided that she'd walk with Jake to the nearby clinic. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and Natalia was glad that her company was still needed by someone. Half an hour later, Natalia found herself reading an outdated, boring ass magazine and waiting to hear news on Jake. She saw the door open from where Jake had been placed and saw him stick his head out the room, looking for her, she assumed. She waved at him from where she sat and he smiled.

"What's the verdict Jake?" Natalia asked as he exited from the doctor's examining room and took a seat next to her.

" Just like we thought, I've got food poisoning."

"Oh thank God!" Natalia exclaimed and Jake cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh you know what I mean.."

Jake laughed and shook his head "Yeah, I know."

"Doc prescribe you anything?"

"Just gave me a couple of these to take.." Jake said, lifting his hand to display a clear case with 2 capsules inside "Said to drink plenty of water and stuff like that. Should be fine."

"Glad to hear it. You had me worried Anderson. " Natalia smiled at him and put her hand into his. He grinned his boyish grin at her.

"Worried I wouldn't live long enough for you to get another taste of these lips?"

Before Natalia had a chance to make a humorous retort the sound of someone clearing their throat came suddenly from behind them, causing Natalia to jump. Both she and Jake turned around to see Edgar standing behind them, hands in his pockets, his face passive.

"Jesus Ed, you scared the crap outta me.." Natalia said with a relieved chuckle. Edgar looked at her but didn't say anything. He glanced down to where she and Jake were still holding hands before addressing the younger man.

"You feeling alright Junior?"

"Yeah bro, thanks. Just got to take some medicine and drink lots of water and I'm good to go."

"Good. Listen, Sig decided to let the us get drinks tonight since we're here. You up for that?"

"Definitely!" Jake hopped up enthusiatically and Edgar put his arm around him in a brotherly manner.

"Let's get out of here."

The two men strode down the corridor and Nat trailed behind them. She was confused by Edgar's aloofness and the fact that he was even at the clinic in the first place.

_"What happened with blondie?"_

Natalia shook her head and ran to catch up with the guys who were already halfway out the door. The cold Alaskan air hit her from every direction and she shivered slightly as she tried to keep pace with Edgar and Jake. Though they appeared to be having a light hearted conversation, seemingly unaffected by the weather, Natalia wasn't fooled. She'd never seen two people walk so fast in her whole life. And unless they secretly had rockets attached to their boots, her guess was they wanted to get out of the cold just as bad as she did.

They finally reached the bar and the warmth it emitted as they walked inside the door was more than welcome. They immediately spotted their crew and made their way over to the table, Jake giving them the update on his health. As Natalia took her seat she noticed that all the girls she'd seen earlier by the docks were also seated around the crew but the young blonde who'd been hanging all over Edgar was now sitting in the far corner of the bar looking dejected. Natalia was only able to observe the blonde a moment longer before someone stood directly in front of her, blocking her view. She looked up to see a beautiful face looking down on her.

"Dance with me kid.."

Nat turned her head in both directions "You talkin to me old man?"

Edgar grimanced "I don't see any old man here.."

"And I dont see any kids." Nat shot back calmly and Edgar grinned.

"Dance with me"

"You askin me?"

"Im tellin' you."

Edgar then grabbed her by the hand and before she had a chance to protest she was already smack dead in the middle of the dance floor. Edgar had left her momentarily to skim through the jukebox and throw in a couple of quarters before walking back over to her. He slipped a hand on her waist while he took her hand in his other and they began to sway to the music

_You're mine and we belong together  
>Yes, we belong together,for eternity<em>

"Ritchie Valens?" Natalia said, cocking an eyebrow at Edgar in disbelief

"What, you don't like this song?"

"No, I mean I do. I just didn't see you as the Valens type."

Edgar shrugged "I like some of his stuff."

_You're mine, your lips belong to me  
>Yes, they belong to only me,for eternity<em> 

Natalia smirked at Edgar and as she laid her head on his shoulder she caught blondie shoot her a dirty look from across the bar.

"What happened with blondie?" Natalia couldn't resist the urge to ask

"Who?" Edgar asked before following her gaze across the room. He shrugged with disinterest.

"When we first got to the bar I felt like dancing.."

"And she didn't?"

"Nah, she did. She's just not who I wanted to dance with.."

Natalia did her absolute best to restrain her smile "Soo you came all the way down to the hospital because...?"

"It's pretty simple Nat. The person I wanted to dance with was there."

"Oh Edgar..."

"But then I realized, "Wait, Junior's probably too sick to wanna dance tonight."

Natalia looked at him blankly a few moments before she broke out in laughter and Edgar grinned at being able to make her laugh like that.

"So here we are." He said, ending his story.

"Here we are." Natalia reiterated

_You're mine, my baby and you'll always be  
>I swear by everything I own<br>You'll always,always be mine_

"Should've told me you were going with Junior.." Edgar said, suddenly serious "..Was worried when I didn't see you."

"You were so wrapped up in Blondie I didn't think you noticed."

Edgar noted the hint of irritation in her voice and grinned "Jealous?"

Nat rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Edgar took his hand from hers and gently took her chin, willing her to look at him.

"You don't have to be jealous." he said seriously "If anybody should be worried here it's me. First you two lip lock in front of me and then I catch you holding hands in the hospital."

"I was just comforting him Edgar."

"Was he dying?" he asked with dry sarcasm. Natalia smirked, despite herself.

"No I can't say that he was."

Nat ran her hand down Edgar's face and he gave her a small smile.

"You dont have to be jealous." she said, laughing a bit.

"I know."

"Oh do you?"

"Yep. You're not going anywhere."

"Says who?"

"Says me?"

"And what makes you so sure I wont see other people?"

Edgar grinned boyishly before wrapping one arm around Natalia's waist and used the other to hold the back of her neck. He dragged her to him and kissed her with an intensity that left her head swimming. He pulled away from her and was satisfied with the effect he'd had on her. He pulled Natalia closely to him and whispered in her ear

"You're mine."

_You're mine and,we belong together  
>Yes, we belong together, for eternity<em> 


	12. Official Girl

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Loving the lovely reviews, from some extra lovely ladies :) This chapter's just kind of blah but still I hope you all Enjoy !

The weeks had gone by in the blink of an eye and before Natalia knew it the Northwestern was headed back to Saint Paul Island for her final offload of the season. Nat was in the wheelhouse with Sig, sitting in the co-captain's chair. Since it was 1:00 in the morning the sky was black and Sig had turned off all the lights in the wheelhouse, leaving them both enveloped in a comfortable darkness. Natalia was grateful for the silence as she closed her eyes and let her thoughts consume her.

Everything with her and Edgar had been going great so far. By now everyone knew they were together and aside from some intial good natured ribbing nobody really said anything to them about their relationship. Though Natalia felt like she was walking on cloud 9 half the time a part of her was still unsure about what this all meant.

A few weeks back, he'd danced with her in the middle of a crowded bar, kissed her hotly in front of God and everyone, and had told her that she was his. Still, what did it mean? If she was his, did that mean that they were now official? Or was she his because his ego couldnt take her showing interest in someone else. Natalia hated all the second guessing she was doing but the few times that she asked Edgar flat out what exactly was happening between them he'd say

"I told you you're mine, didn't I?" And then he'd kiss her.

She guessed it was to shut her up and distract her from asking more questions. It worked. She just wished Edgar would just be more blunt with her about exactly what was going on with them. Despite the fact that he liked to call her "kid" (mostly to get on her nerves) she was a big girl now...a woman. And she could take the truth, whatever it was.

_Don't you think it's time that you made it clear?  
>You gotta get on your biz<br>Tell me what it ain't or what it is  
>I can handle it<em> 

Lately she found herself feeling irked with Edgar. She didn't want to seem clingy or pressure him into something he didn't want to do, but she didn't like the uncertainty of where she stood with him either. A few of the guys who worked at the processing plant where the Northwestern offloaded had expressed interest in her several times, one very cute one in particular named Angel, but she'd always politely turned them down.

_I've had it up to here  
>I don't wanna pressure you dear<br>I've sent back to back dudes  
>Away from my door<br>Thinking I was spoken for  
>Not anymore<br>_

She was tired of the confusion, tired of the way the "unofficial" "official" labels kept running through her head. She was already Edgar's completely. He had stolen her heart from the first and that had never changed. But she need him to be HERS completely, needed to have his heart the way he had hers.

_And I'm tired of being your unofficial girl  
>And I'm tired of trying but I'm still your<br>unofficial girl_

_(You gotta learn to love me)  
>You gotta love me in the light and the dark<br>You gotta give me all of your heart  
>I wanna be your official girl<em>

Natalia knew from the start this would end up complicated. She knew Edgar was like most typical men, wanting their freedom and all the women that came with it. But she wasn't like all the rest of them, she loved Edgar for Edgar, not because he was on some TV show and thought she could get something from him the way all those skanks did. She didn't want to lose Edgar but eventually they would have to talk, he'd have to know that she needed more than just "fun time". It made her nervous to think of what his reaction would be, afraid he'd reject her. But if that's what he wanted that's what he'd get. It would be a shame to end it all, but Natalia would walk away and not turn back.

_If you keep this up there's bound to be a mess cause I ain't really like the rest  
>Put to the test I could surely pass<br>You better do the math  
><em> 

_It'd be ashamed to say you lost me  
>But if you want that<br>It's a wrap  
>And I won't look back<em>

If it was up to her, she and Edgar would've been married by now. But the choice was his. She'd lay the cards out on the table for him and then the ball was in his court. He'd just better be sure that whatever he decided was what he really wanted, because once she left she was gone.

_You better act right  
>I'm two seconds from being out the door<br>_

_Said I won't be with you unofficially anymore  
>And I can't make you choose<br>Long as you're cool on knowing you're bout to blow a good thing  
>And I ain't making ultimatums I'm gonna tell you this verbatim<em>

Natalia was distracted from her thoughts by the sounds of someone walking up the stairs but she didn't turn around.

"Oh, great." Sig muttered sarcastically and Nat turned around to see who it was. She smiled despited herself.

"It's always good to see you too Sig." Edgar said in a cheery voice and Natalia chuckled.

"What are you doing up here?" she asked him sweetly as he stood in front of her and took her hands in his.

"Lookin' for you. What are you doing up here?"

"Just relaxing. Enjoying some quality time with Sig."

Edgar snorted and Sig shot him a look. Edgar ignored him and gave Nat a kiss on her cheek.

"I missed you.."

"Oh brother..." Sig could be heard muttering from across the wheelhouse and Edgar shot him a glare. Natalia was always amused by their brotherly interactions.

"Missed you too Ed.."

"Why dont you cut this quality time short with my dear brother and come spend some time with me?"

"Can't"

Edgar frowned "Why not?"

"Gotta take over for Sig in a few"

Edgar groaned in frustration which caused Sig to smirk. These two really loved to get under each others skin.

"I'll stay up here with you then.."

"Aren't you sweet.."

Natalia took Edgar's beautiful face between her hands and drew him towards her. She placed small, soft kisses on his cheek, slowing making her way to her destination. Their lips parted like the Red Sea and their tongues did a dance that left them both wanting more. Edgar was the first one to break their kiss and rested his forehead against hers, bothing breathing heavily.

"That's disgusting." Sig said and Natalia couldn't help but laugh. Sig really knew how to make her laugh and half the time he wasn't even trying. He stood up from the Captain's chair and made his way over to the staircase, pausing to look at the couple, shaking his head at his youngest brother.

"I swear I'll never understand what girls see in you."

"Dont hate me because I'm beautiful."

Sig snorted, winked at Natalia and made his way down the staircase. Natalia got up from where she was sitting and made her way over to the Captain's chair and Edgar in turn sat in the chair that she'd just occupied. They sat in silence for a few minutes, words not always needed between them. Natalia decided now was as good a time as any to bring up what had been on her mind for weeks. Especially now that the season was over, Natalia worried what would happen when they got back home. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"Edgar, we need to talk about something."

*Silence*

"Edgar...it's kind of important.."

*Silence*

"Are you listening to-"

Natalia turned to face him and immediately broke out laughing. Edgar was fast asleep, mouth hanging open and arms dangling from his sides. Natalia smiled at the man she had always loved and shook her head with amusement.

_"What am I gonna do with you?"_

**Song:"Official Girl" by Cassie**


	13. Just You and Me

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

JakeHarrisLover I hope you appreciate how difficult it was for me to write this second chapter. My ADD was acting up like you would not believe :p Also because today is Edgar's birthday I decided to upload two chapters instead of one. So Happy Birthday Hansen! Shut up & Read!

The Northwesten had been docked at the processing plant for the past 9 hours and Sig had finally granted the crew permission to go to the bar to celebrate another safe and successful season. Everyone was in good spirits and were anxious to get to Saint Paulie's Pub. Their only hold up was Edgar, who decided at the last minute he needed to use the bathroom. The guys weren't exactly thrilled about standing outside waiting in the cold for him but their moods quickly brightened at the sight of a group of young girls approaching them, vying for their attention. Natalia shook her head, more out of amazement than annoyance. No matter what time the boat pulled up there was always a group of girls hanging around waiting. If they weren't dressed so nicely Natalia would swear these girls were homeless. She stood off to the side by herself as she watched the guys eat up the attention and smirked.

"What's so funny?"

The voice sounded vaguely familiar and Natalia turned to the direction of which the voice came. It was Angel, the real cute processor who'd tried to make a move on her a couple of times. Natalia shrugged before turning her attention back to the guys.

"You not gonna let me in on the joke?"

"There's no joke to let you in on."

"So what's a pretty girl like you doing all by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself" she said, motioning her head towards her crew

"You know what I'm tryna say..." Angel moved closer to her "Where's your guy?"

"Inside.."

Hearing this momentarily gave Angel pause "So you've got a boyfriend?"

This time it was Natalia's turn to hesitate "We're...together."

"Doesn't sound like anything serious to me then" Angel regained his confidence and took another step towards her "How about I buy you a drink?"

"How about no.." This time it was Edgar who spoke and Angel was visibly annoyed by the interruption.

"How about letting the lady speak for herself?"

"I speak for her." Edgar said, moving towards Angel

"Edgar, stop it. I speak for myself." Though Natalia appreciated where he was coming from she didn't like be treated like she was somebody's property. Edgar shot her a hard and angry look but Natalia ignored him.

"Angel, I appreciate your offer but I'm going to have to say no." Natalia was polite yet firm.

"Fine." He said hastily, shooting Edgar a parting glare before turning to leave.

Natalia turned to face Edgar but he's was already walking away. Her first instinct was to run after him. But then she decided against it. She didn't run after anyone, not even Edgar Hansen.

_"Not my style."_ she thought as she walked towards the bar. The guys were way ahead of her and that suited her just fine. As much as she loved them, she also liked to get a moment of peace here and there. Those guys could drive even the most subdued person to insanity given the chance.

Nat finally reached the bar and it was more crowded than she'd ever seen it. She looked for her crew and found them sitting off in the far corner of the bar. As she was making her way over to them she suddenly stopped in her tracks. There was Blondie sitting on Edgar's lap, twirling her hair as he whispered something in her ear. Natalia's blood was boiling and decided that before she did something she'd regret later she'd leave. She turned around abruptly and bumped smack into a hard chest.

"I'm so sorry.." she started to say until she saw who she was talking to you "Oh, it's just you."

"So I'm not worthy of an apology?" Angel asked, feigning hurt and Nat smirked despite herself.

"Sorry Angel." she said with half a smile, pushing past him.

"You know..." He said, grabbing her arm gently to prevent her from leaving. "..If you really, really want to make it up to me you could let me buy you that drink."

"Look I..." her gazed flitted to Edgar and Blondie and immediately changed what she was going to say "I think that would be a good idea."

Angel's eyebrows shot up in surprise "Really?"

"You buyin' me that drink or not?"

"Yeah.." Angel said, quickly regaining composure "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

They walked briskly towards the bar and took a seat as the bartender approached them.

"What'll it be?" the young bartender asked and Angel gave Natalia a questioning look. She shrugged at him and said "Whatever you're having."

He nodded and ordered two beers which were presented to them in seconds. They each took a sip of their beer and Natalia scrunched her face. Angel chuckled at her facial expression.

"I take it you dont drink often."

"Not at all."

"This your first beer?"

"Yeah"

"Well then I'm very honored you're having it with me."

"You're welcome."

Natalia and Angel both laughed and took another sip of their drinks. Natalia noticed that it didn't taste so bad the second time around. Soon one drink turned to two and two turned to four and Natalia found herself laughing at everything Angel said even though most of what he had to say wasn't particularly funny. Angel was being especially friendly, moving his seat closer and closer to Natalia, resting his hand first on her shoulder, then on her knee. She was having such a good time she'd hardly even noticed the somber look that suddenly came over his face. She looked over her shoulder to see what had caught his attention and came face-to-face with a pissed beyond pissed Edgar. Still, Natalia was too loopy to really comprehend the emotions he was experiencing and just smiled a silly grin at him.

"It's time to go.." Edgar said sternly.

"But.." Natalia had started to protest but the look on Edgar's face had stopped her short.

"Now!" he said loudly, grabbing Natalia by the arm and snatching her coat off the chair.

"Hey man !" Angel protested but quickly shut up when Edgar turned his look of rage towards him. He pushed Natalia roughly behind him and stood mere inches from the other man.

"If you EVER come near my girl again I will literally beat you within an inch of your fucking life!"

"Oh Edgar, that's so romantic!" Natalia chimed in, giggling softly.

Edgar gave Angel a final warning glare before turning back towards a smiling Natalia, who was sipping on her beer. Edgar instantly grabbed it from her hand and slammed in onto the counter.

"Hey! I was drinking that!"

"You're done!" He snatched her coat out her hands and roughly started putting it on her. Natalia grumbled but she finally managed to get her coat on and no sooner did Edgar grab her roughly by her arm and drag her out the bar like a rag doll. The cold Alaskan air was like a slap in the face.

"Edgar, stop!"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Edgar, you're pulling me too hard!" Natalia whined but Edgar didn't appear to hear her. He just kept rambling angrily and Natalia gave up trying to speak to him.

"You got some nerve little girl..." he spat "Some real fucking nerve!"

They were at the boat now and Edgar hopped over the rails first. Angry as he was, he knew Natalia was in no condition to get herself over the rail so he grabbed her by her waist and helped her over. As soon as she was on her feet Edgar grabbed her hand and dragged her inside towards their stateroom. Once they were in their room Edgar shoved her on the bed and started removing her coat.

"I can do it myself Edgar. Im a big girl!" she snapped and Edgar's hands immediately dropped from her coat zipper.

"You certainly proved that tonight didn't you?"

"Oh shut up Edgar! Just shut up!"

Edgar gaped at her "What did you say to me?" his voice was as cold as ice.

"Get off of your fucking high and mighty act okay? You had that stupid little bitch sitting on your lap like you were fucking Santa Clause and then you want to get mad because I had a few drinks at the bar with some processor?"

"You are MY girl!"

"Since when?" Natalia jumped up practically shouting and the loopy feeling she'd had earlier was now almost completely gone. "Everytime I ask you what this is.." she said, gesturing between herself and him " You tell me I'm yours. But what the fuck does that mean Edgar? Why can't you just give me a straight answer? This whole relationship...or whatever this is has been on YOUR terms! You want me to be your girl but then you wanna have random bar bitches on your lap? What the fuck is that?

"You'd better calm yourself down little girl.." Edgar's voice was filled with warning.

"Or what? You gonna go back to the bar and fuck that little blondie bitch? Because two can play at that game."

Edgar grabbed Natalia by her arms and slammed her up against the door "I fucking swear to God Natalia if you let any other man touch you..."

His warning faded as he looked intently into her eyes... her beautiful brown eyes. Edgar's lips came crashing down on Natalia's so suddenly at first she didn't react. Then her lips came to life and she ran her hands down his body, quickly tearing away his many layers of shirts. Edgar groaned as Natalia sucked on his neck and leaned closer into her. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and tore if off swiftly, her bra following close behind. Edgar bent down and took her hardened nipples into his mouth, sucking her like a new born baby. He then yanked off her jeans and Natalia moaned loudly, so turned on by his aggression and felt her legs becoming weak. She began to unbuckle his pants and Edgar immediately grabbed her hands to stop her. She looked at him with confused and hazy lust-filled eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't want to do this."

"Yes I do!" Natalia nodded eagerly

Edgar shook his head "You're not ready for what I want to do to you."

"Edgar trust me.." She extended her hand and clapsed the back of his neck, bringing him close enough for her to whisper in his ear "I want you to make love to me."

Edgar groaned and lifted her off the ground. He layed her down on his bunk but didn't lay down with her. Instead he just looked.

"Take your panites off."

Natalia swore she could've came right then and there. She did as she was told and watched Edgar admire her womanhood. She felt exposed, a little embarrased but also very, very turned on.

"Make love to me Edgar." Natalia's voice was nothing more than a whisper as Edgar positioned himself above her. They kissed some more, to the point where Natalia thought she would explode.

"Edgar...please...I'm ready."

He looked into her eyes and Natalia could see the internal battle he was having with himself.

"I can't."

"Why not?" Natalia was fully aware that she was whining like a little girl but at the moment she really didn't care. She had waited for Edgar, for this moment all her life. Now he was denying her.

"It shouldn't be like this..."

"Like what?"

"I dont want our first time together to be out of anger. I dont want it to be on a boat with you half drunk out of your mind. I dont want either of us to regret this Nat."

Natalia was so moved by what Edgar had just said that she couldn't speak.

"Is that okay baby? Could we just..wait a bit?"

"Yeah..yeah thats fine."

Edgar nodded, visibly relieved by her answer. He layed himself down beside her and then took her into his arms. Natalia pulled the covers up over their naked bodies and then layed her head on his chest, her ear directly above his beating heart. The most beautiful sound in the world.

"Baby?"

She loved the way that sounded "Yes?"

"You're my girl. And I'm your guy. It's just you and me okay?"

"Okay."

Natalia smiled into his warm, strong chest, content to stay there forever.

**AHHH! DO YOU ALL JUST HATE ME RIGHT NOW? I'M SORRY! I KNOW YOU WANT SMUT AND IT WILL COME! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE! I DONT MEAN TO BE A TEASE ;) HOPE YOU ALL STILL LOVE ME ENOUGH TO REVIEW!**


	14. Past And Present

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Just kinda blah, still reviews keep me motivated so drop some please ! This story's gonna get wrapped up soon, so stay tuned for more. JakeHarrisLover I know you were having a shitty day the other day so I hope my humble update cheers you up a little :)

"Nat..."

"Hmmmm..."

"Nat, it's time to wake up."

Natalia groaned and pulled the covers over her head "Five more minutes mom."

Edgar chuckled, rubbing her back gently "How do you feel?"

"Like shit. My head is killing me."

"Anything I can do for you?"

"Stop talking so loud."

Edgar resisted the urge to laugh. His voice had barely been above a whisper.

"Time to get up." He grabbed the covers off of her and Natalia grumbled something under her breath that Edgar couldn't hear which was probably for the best.

"Why?" Natalia groaned, eyes still shut.

"Gotta get the boat ready to dock."

"We're here already?"

"Almost."

"Ohhh mann..." Natalia moaned into the pillow

Edgar shook his head at her "Don't ever drink again."

"No problem."

Edgar stood up from the bed and began to make his way out the door "I'll tell Sig that you're gonna sleep in."

"No!" Natalia shot up straight and immediately regretted it. No, she would never drink again. "Im gonna do my job. Just give me a minute."

Edgar smiled at her over his shoulder, she was a trooper to the very end. "That's my girl."

Natalia rubbed her head and groaned as she began to look for her clothes from the night before. She picked up her bra here and her underwear there and was suddenly embarrassed about the way she'd acted last night. She was usually very reserved in the sexual department and didn't know where all the confidence came from.

_"Must be the alcohol."_

Natalia got dressed as fast as she could and made her way to the bathroom. She found a bottle of Asprin and took the last two left in the bottle before making her way outside. Once she stepped foot on deck the cool air helped to relieve her headache.

"She lives to see another day!" Matt shouted as soon as Natalia stepped outside and she grimanced.

"Do you have to be so loud Bradley?"

Matt grinned at her with a devilish smile "No, I dont have to be."

Natalia rolled her eyes and chuckled as she helped the crew prepare the boat to dock, cleaning up the deck, putting everything back in its proper place. By the time they were finished Pugent Sound was in perfect view and Natalia leaned over the rail to see families off in the distance. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and heard a voice she knew so well.

"You got anybody waitin' on you?"

"Nah. I'm staying with a friend right now until I get my own place but she had to work today so I'm just gonna catch a cab to her place."

"Is that what you want?"

Natalia turned her head to face him "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Do you want to stay at your friend's place?"

"Where else would I stay?"

"With me."

Natalia's eyes widened "Seriously?"

"Why not?" Edgar asked "Besides I think I'd make a better roommate" he said wiggiling his eyebrows and he and Natalia laughed.

"But seriously, how about it?"

Natalia pretended to mull it over seriously "Hmmm..Well this is a serious commitment.." she said, rubbing her chin "I'll really have to give this some thought and get back to you."

Edgar grinned and nodded his head "Take all the time you need sweetheart."

He turned to walk away and Natalia grabbed his forearm "Okay, I thought about it!"

Edgar chuckled "And...?"

"I'm going with you."

Edgar grinned and kissed her soundly "Good."

They both turned their attention back to the piece of land that was growing larger and larger by the minute.

"Bet you never thought you'd be standing here instead of there.." Edgar said gesturing towards the docks.

Natalia shook her head "Not in a million years.."

Suddenly the strangest thing happened. For a moment Natalia could swear she saw her younger self standing at the docks, jumping up and down and waving with the biggest smile on her face. She could almost swear she heard herself crying out _"Edgar! Hey Edgar! Welcome back!". _

Natalia shook her head, internally laughing off the absurdity. Because she was here now. Here with Edgar.

"I'm glad you're here." He said, almost as if reading her thoughts.

"Me too." Natalia said with a small smile.

The Northwestern finally reached the docks and everyone happily embraced one another. It was always a good feeling to be back with the people they loved most. After about 20 minutes Edgar and Natalia said their final goodbyes to everybody and hopped in Edgar's car, which was left at a parking lot specifically for the fisherman who needed a place to keep their vehicles while they were gone for the season. Natalia gave Edgar the directions to her friend's house which was about a 40 minute drive from the docks.

Once there, Natalia took the spare key from under the doormat and opened the door to her friend's one-story house. She quickly found a pen and paper and left her a note to inform her of the change of plans of her living arrangements. Once she finished locking up and returned the key under the mat she jumped back into Edgar's car.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to call her?" He asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

Natalia shook her head "She doesn't believe in house phones for some reason. And I didn't want to call her cell because she'd think it was an emergency."

"You could've called her at work."

"Her boss is a dick. Doesn't like anyone to take personal calls." She rolled her eyes.

Edgar chuckled at her choice of words and they drove another hour to his place. Natalia had fallen asleep during the ride over and Edgar almost didn't have the heart to wake her up.

"Nat, we're here baby."

"You're waking me up again.." Natalia complained but there was a playfullness to her voice and Edgar chuckled.

"Sorry kid. Last time, I promise."

They both got out the car and simultaneously shut their doors, walking to Edgar's door hand in hand. He took his keys out his pocket, opened the door and gestured for Natalia to enter first.

"Welcome to my palace " Edgar flipped on the lights and dropped his duffel bag next to the door. Natalia paused and took a moment to look around.

"It's actually...clean in here."

Edgar snorted in mock offense "What were you expecting?"

"A replica of our stateroom." she said over her shoulder and Edgar laughed. He grabbed her bag out of her hand and took her other into his own.

"Come on. Let me show you where your sleeping."

"I think I have a pretty good idea of where I'll be sleeping." Natalia winked and Edgar chuckled.

"Yeah but you don't know _where_ it is."

He lead Natalia up the stairs and down the hall to the very last room on the right. Once inside Edgar dropped her bag next to his dresser.

"Let me just clean out a couple of drawers for your stuff."

Natalia nodded "Thanks." She walked over to him as he began to pull out clothes from his dresser. She sat at the edge of his bed and watched him remove shirts, jeans, and -

"Oh my God!" Natalia shouted suddenly which caused Edgar to jump.

"What?"

"I can't believe you have these..." Natalia bent down on her knees next to Edgar and removed an old small plastic ziploc bag from the corner of the drawer. Edgar leaned closer to see what Natalia had found and gave a small smile

"Oh yeah..I almost forgot about those."

Natalia opened the bag, removing 3 birthday cards addressed from her to Edgar also seeing a few pictures. Edgar placed his arm over her shoulder as they both sat back, leaning against the bed and Natalia opened the first birthday card she'd ever given him.

"_Dear Edgar,_

_Happy Birthday! I hope you have a lot of fun even though you'll be away at sea. Have a safe season and I'll be here when you get back!_

_-Natalia"_

Edgar then tapped the second card, gesturing for her to open it, which she did.

_"Dear Edgar, _

_Hope you have a great birthday! I bet you guys are gonna make a killing this season! Be safe and don't let Sig get to you. Remember to text me to let me know when you'll be back , I'll be waiting. I'll miss you!_

_-Natalia"_

"Open the third one" Edgar said and Natalia shook her head.

"No way. This just gets more embarrasing by the minute."

Edgar chuckled and grabbed the card from her hand and opened it, reading it aloud.

_"Dear Edgar,_

_Have an awesome birthday, I hope you stay safe and your season's successful! I wish I could be out there fishing with you. I hope you think about me while your out there, I think about you - "_

"Oh my God" Natalia hid her face in her hands in embarrassment and Edgar chuckled before continuing

_"I can't wait for you to come back. I miss you a lot. See you at the docks!"_

_-Love Natalia"_

Edgar placed the card back into the envelope and glanced at Natalia who still had her face hidden in her eyes. He laughed and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"Don't be embarrassed."

"I was such a loser."

"You were sweet..." Edgar said "I remember I'd always find them in my duffel bag by the time we'd leave Pugent Sound. And there'd always be a post-it note attached on the outside that said "Dont Read Until January 14th!"

Natalia smiled at the memory, taking the three pictures from the bag and examining them. The first picture was of all the guys standing on the deck of the Northwestern, Natalia standing in the center of the group, Nick's arm wrapped around her shoulder. She turned it over in her hand and it was inscribed_ "The COMPLETE Northwestern crew. Summer of '94"_ Another picture was taken of her in the wheelhouse, sitting in the Captain's chair. She had the biggest smile on her face as she pretended to drive the boat wearing a black Northwestern cap. Natalia flipped over the picture and on back it read _"Nat , Age 12, future Captain. Summer of '95"_

"I took that picture." Edgar murmured against her ear and Natalia nodded

"I remember."

She set the pictures aside and looked at the last one, smiling warmly. It was of her and Edgar. She was wearing a golden necklace with a small anchor hanging from it, which Edgar had given her for her 13th birthday that past March. She was sitting crossed legged on the sorting table, Edgar sitting next to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulder. They both smiled hugely as the sun beat down on them. That was the only picture of just the two of them and it was also taken the last summer Natalia would be with the Northwestern crew. She turned it over to read the back and smiled. _"Me and my favorite girl , Summer of '96" _

"I can't believe you kept this stuff."

"Of course I did. You were a special kid to me." Edgar suddenly thought of something "Whatever happened to the necklace?"

"Still got it" Natalia reached over to her duffelbag and unzipped a small pocket, removing the necklace "Didn't want anything to happen to it while we were fishing."

Edgar took the necklace from her hand and proceeded to place it around her neck. Natalia held the anchor to her neck as Edgar connected the clasp of the necklace, securing it.

"It'll be fine while you work. You don't need to take it off."

"Roger."

Edgar grinned and Natalia smiled but said nothing else. It amazed her how far she'd come. She looked at the picture in her hand and would have never guessed that 15 years later she'd be with Edgar again. In his home, in his room. She was his, as she had always been. But now he was hers as well.

"Who would've ever thought..." Edgar said as he gazed down at the picture in Natalia's hand and she nodded her head in agreement.

"Back then I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, just to be around you."

"And now?"

"Now... I feel like the luckiest woman."


	15. Sea of Love

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

For my Darling Kharissa, my favorite author, faithful reviewer, and friend :) On with the story!

_"Jax: Bottom line here...I found out I got a sister.  
><em> 

_Trinity: Aye, a sister you nearly shagged.  
><em> 

_Jax: You say that like it's a bad thing"_

Natalia laughed out loud as Edgar sauntered into the room, placing a kiss on her forehead before sitting down on the bed next to her.

"What are you watching?"

"Sons of Anarchy."

"Never seen it."

"Well you should."

Edgar layed down next to Natalia, wrapping one arm over her shoulder and putting the other behind his head. He watched the remainder of the show with her, though he was completely lost as to who was who and what the hell was going on. When the show was finally finished Edgar sat up and looked down at Natalia.

"I've been thinking..."

"That sounds dangerous" Nat grinned and Edgar playfully slapped her thigh

"Very funny"

"What's on your mind?" 

"I've got a great idea."

"And what's that?" She asked as she turned down the volume on the television.

"We should go away."

"Go away?"

"Yeah. Like on vacation."

They had been home for a little over a week and almost everyday since it had rained and snowed and rained again. Needless to say, it wasn't the most favorable weather in which to spend their down time. In a month's time they'd be back to dealing with the harsh cold, snow, and agony that the Bering Sea served up every crab season, and neither of them wanted to spend their "vacation" in similar conditions.

"I think that's a great idea!" Natalia said, sitting up excitedly "Where do you wanna go?"

"I was thinking Vegas" He suggested "You ever been?"

"No, you?"

"Nope," Edgar smiled "We can experience something new together."

"Sound's good to me."

"When do you wanna leave?"

"ASAP"

"Then let's get packing!"

**Five days later!**

"Edgar, this was a great idea." Natalia said as she swam over to him. He sat at the edge of the pool with his legs in the water. She came between his legs and rested her hands on his knees.

"It was pretty great wasn't it?" He asked rhetorically, a cocky grin on his face.

"Alright, alright." Natalia rolled her eyes and smiled suddeny "Why don't you come in?"

"I like the view from here" Edgar said as he leaned back on his hands and looked down on Natalia's beautiful body. She was wearing a sexy white two piece bathing suit and Edgar had almost had half a mind to tell her to change when she first put it on. But since he'd reserved the pool for the next two hours exclusively for them, he didn't have to worry about some asshole trying to put the moves on his girl. _"Damn, she looks good." _He thought to himself, as he watched her body glide gracefully through the water. She moved like a mermaid with legs. Thick, sexy legs. Edgar soon felt himself becoming aroused at the very sight of her and he had to make himself turn away. He and Natalia had still not had sex yet. It wasn't that there was something holding them back, they just didn't feel the need to rush into it. They were enjoying just being in the other's company, getting to know each other all over again, and catching up on everything they'd missed in each other's lives for the past 15 years. Everything was just going so perfectly between them and Edgar didn't want anything to ruin it, especially not sex. But the way Natalia looked right now, Edgar wasn't sure if he could hold off much longer. Natalia swam back over to Edgar and repositioned herself between his legs.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

"Positive." He leaned over and took her face between his hands, kissing her forehead soundly.

Suddenly the sound of the door to the pool area was heard being unlocked and the couple turned their attention to a smiling employee.

"Exucse me, but the two hours you've reserved the pool for will be over in about five minutes. You're welcome to reserve the pool for a longer time if you'd wish."

Edgar turned to Natalia "You wanna stay longer baby?"

"Oh no, that's okay, " She shook her head and smiled "I'm sure other people want a shot in here."

"Very well then, " The employee turned to leave but stopped and turned back again "I'm sorry I forgot to ask but would you like a towel Mrs. Hansen?"

Natalia immediately felt her cheeks brighten "Oh no I'm not...I mean yes... But I'm not.. I mean I..."

Edgar chuckled "Yes she would like a towel, thank you."

"Right away Sir." The employee was gone for only a moment before returning with a fresh towel. Natalia lifted herself out of the pool and graciously accepted the towel.

"Thank you very much."

"You're quite welcome Mrs. Hansen. You two enjoy the rest of your day."

Natalia blushed with embarrassment again and Edgar laughed. They both stood and Natalia wrapped the towel around herself.

"Ready to go...Mrs. Hansen?" Edgar said with a chuckle and Natalia rolled her eyes.

"Let's go."

The couple walked hand in hand as they exited from the pool area. Edgar signed a few autographs for some adoring fans and then they procceeded to take the elevator up to the 10th floor to their suite. As soon as they stepped inside Natalia headed for the shower to wash off the chlorine from her hair and body while Edgar went into their bedroom and started flipping aimlessly through the chanels. He grinned to himself as he heard Natalia singing, if you could call it that, to the top of her lungs while she showered.

_" If I could say what I want to say  
>I'd say I wanna blow you... away<br>Be with you every night  
>Am I squeezing you too tight<br>If I could say what I want to see  
>I want to see you go down<br>On one knee  
>Marry me today<br>Guess, I'm wishing my life away  
>With these things I'll never say "<br>_

_"That girl can't sing for crap"_ Edgar thought to himself amused _"But I love her."_ Suddenly Edgar shot upright as the realization of what he'd just said hit him. Then he smiled. "I love her."

_" It don't do me any good  
>It's just a waste of time<br>What use is it to you  
>What's on my mind<br>If it ain't coming out  
>We're not going anywhere<br>So why can't I just tell you that I care_

_(Cause) I'm feeling nervous  
>Trying to be so perfect<br>Cause I know you're worth it  
>You're worth it<br>Yeah "_

As terrible as her singing was, Edgar found himself wondering what it would be like to have her in his shower on a regular basis, vocal chords and all. Hearing that hotel employee mistakenly call her "Mrs. Hansen" had done something funny to his heart though he'd laughed it off. He'd never considered getting married to anyone. Not until now. Not until Natalia. Suddenly he jumped up, quickly found a pen and paper and jotted down a note before jetting out the door.

Natalia turned off the shower knobs and wrapped a towel around herself. She felt refreshed as she made her way to the bedroom but quickly frowned as she realized Edgar wasn't their.

"Ed?" She called out but was not met with a reply. She shrugged and sat down on the bed, letting the towel fall from her body. Suddenly she realized there was a note on the night stand and picked it up, quickly reading over it.

_"Baby, went out. Be back in a couple hours! Put on something nice but simple and I'll see you soon. Wait for me._

_-Edgar"_

Natalia studied the note over and over again, trying to find some hidden meaning behind the message but soon gave up. Since she wasn't much of a girly girl she didn't own many flashy things. But she did own a pretty white summer dress and decided that's what she'd wear. It stopped just above her knees and it had small straps, and it was a nice but simple dress. She put on some summer sandals and pulled her hair into a ponytail, only little strands escaping. She wore her necklace that Edgar had given her and put on small golden hoop earrings. She waited anxiously on the bed for Edgar to return, not paying any attention to what was being said on the TV.

Natalia was at the point where she'd thought she'd rip her hair out when she finally heard the front door open. She jumped up and ran out the room to meet Edgar halfway and stopped short. He was dressed in khaki's and a white dress shirt and some flip flops. He's was dressed simple but nice. He smiled at the sight of her appreciatively.

"You look..."

"Simple but nice..." Natalia supplied.

"Beautiful."

Natalia blushed furiously and suddenly found herself feeling shy and akward. She cleared her throat and motioned to the red rose in his hand.

"That for me?"

Edgar nodded as he extended his hand to hand her the flower. She took it and smiled, feeling extremly nervous. Natalia had never been the popular, pretty girl in high school. She was never given flowers and complimented about her looks and all of this attention from Edgar was a bit overwhelming.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. She smiled and took his hand into her own.

"Ready"

Edgar took Natalia's hand and led her into the elevator. They rode all the way down to the lobby in silence, each consumed in their own thoughts. As soon as they reached their desired floor Edgar led Natalia to the parking lot where they reached his car and he opened the door for her. He then ran quickly to his side and hopped inside putting the key in the ignition. Natalia noticed his hands shaking slightly as he started the car.

"You alright Ed?"

"Yeah yeah."

Natalia decided not to press the issue and said nothing more as Edgar pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. They drove in silence and Natalia was in awe at how beautiful Vegas really was. All the lights and casinos and flashy people walking the streets. Yes, this was quite a place.

They been driving for the better part of an hour now and Natalia started to notice a pattern in the places they drove past. They were all wedding chapels. _"What the hell are we doing here?" _ Natalia was just about to ask Edgar what was going on when they suddenly pulled into one of the chapel's parking lot's and came to a stop. Edgar shut off the car and looked straight forward, the most serious look on his face. Natalia had never seen that look on him before and became nervous.

"Edgar?"

"Yes?"

"What are we doing at..."She turned her head to look outside momentairly "The Wedding Bells Chapel?"

"Well..." he cleared his throat and turned to look at Natalia dead on "It all depends on what you say."

"To...what?" Her heart started pounding wildly in her chest and she was positive her could her it.

"Natalia..." He cleared his throat as he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out two golden wedding bands, one bigger than the other.

"Oh my God." Natalia whispered as her heart accelerated to full force and she immediately felt tears well in her eyes and she didn't know why she'd suddenly become so emotional.

"Natalia...I love you." Edgar was visibly shaking from nerves "Somehow you worked your way into my heart ... and you became everything to me. 15 years ago I didn't know what I lost when you left...but I do know now that I dont ever want to lose you again. I want to spend everyday of the rest of my life with you. I know you deserve more than this" He gestured towards the chapel "You deserve a big fancy proposal and a big extravagant wedding with the pretty white dress, and all that shit girls dream about all their lives and Im sorry if this moment is everything you dreamed of. Im just a simple man Nat, but I promise to protect you and give you everything you'll ever want and love you until the day I die. And if that's enough for you then all you have to do is say yes."

Edgar held his breath as he watched Natalia quickly rub her eyes. He was hoping that those were tears of joy. Finally she looked into his eyes and gave him a shaky smile.

"Yes."

Edgar smiled like a kid on Christmas as he pulled her in for a kiss filled with passion and love. He pulled back before they got too carried away and they both simoultaneously jumped out of the car and hurriedly walked hand in hand into the chapel.

_"The ocean is like our love  
>There is no beginning and no end<br>Timeless and ageless an eternity in its depth  
>Holding long lost memories locked deep in the sea<br>Akin to our hearts memory of you and me"_

Less than half an hour later Natalia walked out of The Wedding Bells Chapel Mrs. Edgar Hansen. Edgar held tightly onto Natalia as the made their way over to his car.

"You wanna go get dinner or something?" Edgar had a big smile on his face as he gazed lovingly at his wife. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"No. I want my husband to take me back to our room and make love to me."

Edgar visibly gulped and pulled out the parking lot so quick Natalia jumped forward in her seat. For what had taken them an hour to get to the chapel it took them about half that time to get back to the hotel. Edgar practically threw his car keys at the Valet's face as he jumped out of the car and pulled Natalia with him. He impatiently pressed the elevator buttoned and Natalia had to laugh.

"Take it easy Ed. You're gonna break it."

"You sure it's not broken already? What's taking so long?"

Natalia didn't have time to answer seeing as the elevator door opened at that exact moment. They stepped inside and waited for the elevator to reach their floor, Edgar tapping his foot repeatedly. When the door opened they practically raced down the hall to their room and Edgar threw the door open. Natalia was just about to set foot inside when Edgar suddenly stopped.

"Edgar?"

He turned around and smiled at Natalia sweetly before sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her inside.

"You carried me over the threshold." Natalia smiled, appreciating the traditional gesture.

They reached the bedroom and Edgar gently placed her down on the bed. For a moment all they did was look at eachother and the urgency to make love was replaced with nervousness. Natalia's stomach fluttered with butterflies but she swallowed her fears as she stood up and began to pull down the straps of her dress, her eyes never wavering from Edgar's.

_"Im so nervous.." _Natalia thought as her dress dropped down to her ankles and she quicked it away to the side with her feet. She then bent over to remove her underwear and she felt herself physically shaking, hoping it wasn't apparent. Edgar watched her with eyes of a burning desire and he soon followed suit, quickly removing his articles of clothing and tossing them off to the side. They gazed at each other a moment longer before Edgar moved towards her, taking her face between his hands and kissing her lovingly on her forehead.

"Edgar..." Natalia's voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Yes?"

"I'm nervous."

"Me too.." He admitted as he looked into her eyes "But I'll take care of you."

Natalia layed herself down and the bed and Edgar was soon positioned above her. They kissed each other, the felt each other, and eventually both their fears subsided.

"Are you ready my wife?" Edgar asked as he held her face tenderly. She nodded as she took his hand from her face and kissed his palm.

"Take me."

Edgar positioned himself at her entrance and as he looked into her eyes, he slowly pushed himself inside her, trying to be as gentle as possible. A look of pain masked Natalia's face as her eyes began to water.

"It hurts Edgar."

"I know baby...I'm so sorry."

For a moment Edgar went still, giving Natalia time to adjust to him. Eventually he felt her body relax and with an assurring nod from her, he continued to push himself inside her. He moved slow with deliberation, trying to keep himself under control. Soon he felt Natalia slowly gyrating her hips in movement with him and he had to fight back a groan.

"Edgar?"

"Yes baby?"

"Go deeper."

Edgar had been holding back, not giving himself fully to her.

"I don't want to hurt you baby"

"You're not."

Still Edgar was unsure

"It doesn't hurt anymore baby, I promise"

Natalia was starting to get breathless as she felt Edgar pick up the pace and she opened her legs wider, giving herself to him more and more. She grabbed onto his back and held on for dear life and he began to thrust into her mercilessly, gasping and whimpering beneath him.

_"As the waves gently massage the shore  
>I am reminded of your sensual touch<br>Your loving hands upon my skin  
>Our bodies rocking together<br>That feeling of forever"_

She wrapped her legs tightly around his hips giving him better access to her and she felt tears well in her eyes again. This did not go unnoticed by Edgar and he started to slow his pace

"Am I hurting you?"

"No...feels...feels so good! Go faster!"

Edgar groaned loudly as he grabbed onto Natalia's hips and pound into her with vigor. Natalia threw her head back into the pillow and she felt something building inside of her...something good, so fucking good. They stared into one another's eyes and they saw eachother's souls.

_"Lost deep in your eyes  
>Like a sailor adrift upon the sea<br>Time stands still when we are together  
>Guided by the star like look of love in your eyes<br>Siren song of your voice pulling me deeper in love no surprise"_

"Edgar...Edgar I...I'm !"

Natalia didn't have time to finish her thought as the love her and Edgar shared came pouring out of her. She arched her back as she cried out in pleasure. Edgar followed close behind and released himself into her and cursing tightly under his breath. He dropped down next to Natalia and pulled her into his chest. They lay in silence, only the sounds of the labored breathing filling the air. Edgar then reached over and took Natalia's hand into his own, examining the two wedding rings that legally bound them together. Then the darndest thing happen.

Edgar Hansen cried.

_"An eternity I was lost at sea in search of your love  
>Never finding shore nor seeing one on the horizon<br>Lost in the vast emptiness that was everywhere  
>Your ocean of love eventually giving me life<br>Binding us together as husband and wife"_

**A/N Disclaimer: Song - Avril Lavigne :Things I'll Never Say**

**Poem -Bill Turner : Sea of Love**


	16. Where ever you go is where ever I'll be

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

Graduated from high school half a year early! This calls for a celebration so here's the next chapter! Next Chapter After This Will Be The Last . Thanks To Everyone For Being Great With Your Reviews And Support . Kind of a short chapter, lo siento :( This is for my darling Kharissa, my inspiration from across the nation! :)

"Ed...Edgar...I...can't...can't cum...again!"

Natalia tried to form an intelligible sentence as Edgar held roughly on to her hips and pounded her into the next universe. She was on all fours but could barely manage to keep herself up much longer.

They'd returned home a week ago and had been married for a little over three weeks now and so far the married life was great. Needless to say, so was their sex life. Edgar had been very slow and gentle with Natalia their first few times together, making sure that she went at her own pace and felt completely comfortable with everything they did. As time went on, she slowly but surely started opening up to Edgar, allowing him to take her places she didn't even know existed. The woman Edgar once proclaimed "Virgin Mary" was proving to be anything but.

"Edgar...I can't...can't..."

"Yes you can " Edgar released one hand from Natalia's hip and reached forward to grab her by her shoulder pulling her body up against his own, whispering heavily in her ear "I'm gonna show you exactly what you can do."

Natalia bit down on her lip as she threw herself back into Edgar's thrust, winding her arm around to hold onto the back of his neck. They were both drenched in sweat but neither of them cared, never had anything been so erotic. Edgar moved his hand from her shoulder, down to the very bottom of her stomach, his index finger playing gently with her swollen clit. Natalia gasped in pleasure and Edgar grinned cockily at her response.

"You like that don't you." It was a statement, not a question. Regardless Natalia nodded her head.

Without warning Edgar pulled out of her and Natalia's face immediately went from a look of pleasure to confusion to irritation. Her hair was sticking to her neck and back, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was labored. Everything about her was turning him on and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer and neither was she. But when Natalia came he not only wanted to feel it but see it written on her face like a story. He couldn't do that with her back towards him.

"Turn around"

Natalia did as she was told, facing Edgar full on, but he didn't touch her, not right away. He just admired her in all her glory. _"Damn, she's beautiful."_

"Edgar..."

Edgar looked into her eyes "Yes?"

"Fuck me."

He grinned as he pushed Natalia down onto her back and ran his rough hands over her breast, giving her nipples the occasional squeeze that sent her sensations over the edge. He leaned down and kissed her. "Ask me nicely." Edgar was teasing her now and he was well aware of it.

"Please." Natalia half begged, half snapped out of irritation.

Edgar smirked as he positioned himself at her enterance. "I love you."

"I love you too" Natalia said as she smiled at him lovingly " Now fuck me."

"As you wish" Edgar chuckled lightly but as he inserted himself into his wife the smirk on his face was replaced with a look of pleasure, a look only the woman beneath him could produce. He groaned as he moved inside of her, back and forth, like the rocking of the sea. She grabbed onto his shoulders as she opened her legs wider, giving him everything she had to offer. She let out a startled yelp as he took her left leg and threw it over his shoulder pounding into her with ferocity. He was hitting her sweet spot repeatedly and Natalia didn't know how much more she could take.

"Right there...Shit, Edgar...Just like that!"

Edgar grunted something unintelligible as he dropped her leg from his shoulder and pulled her up so that they were staring into eachother's eyes as she rode him. He grabbed firmly onto her ass and pushed her deeper and deeper into him. He was so turned on at the very sight of her, her voluptuous breast bouncing, her body glistening with sweat.

"So fuckin' beautiful." He grunted into her ear before once again laying her down on her back. He spread her legs as far as they could go and resumed action, losing his body, mind, and self control all in the process. Natalia moaned and whimpered beneath him, completely submissive to him and his every move. Edgar could feel her coming to her climax and knew he wasn't far behind. He increased his speed to a new level, eyes never leaving Natalia's, which were now filled with tears. She had a habit of doing that sometimes. Getting emotional. It worried Edgar in the beginning but she'd assured him that it just meant everything felt amazing. Now it almost worried him if he didn't see her get a little emotional over their union.

He leaned forward and kissed her sloppily as they came in unison. Natalia cried out as she arched her back and the tears that had built in her eyes had fallen. Edgar's groan was muffled as he'd had his face buried in her neck.

He lay limply on top of her for only a moment before he moved, not wanting to crush her. As he dropped down beside her, Natalia immediately climbed onto his chest, something she often did, regardless of whether they were having sex or not. _"Just wanna be close to you"_ she always said. Edgar pushed her hair away from her sweaty forehead and ran his hand up and down her back, stroking her gently. They listened to the rain beat heavily against the window, the only sound filling the air. Natalia was the first to break the silence.

"I can't believe I just came for the third time in a row" she said, almost mystified.

"You're welcome." Edgar said with a chuckle and a cocky grin and Natalia rolled her eyes but laughed.

"I don't want to go fishing tomorrow." Edgar said, taking on a suddenly somber tone. Tomorrow they'd be leaving for the docks of Pugent Sound and a few days after that they'd be headed off to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Edgar found himself growing more and more miserable as the day drew near.

"We could always stay here, locked up in our room, safely hidden from your tyrant of a brother."

Edgar grinned slightly "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea."

Natalia heard something in Edgar's tone that made her look up at him "Edgar, what's wrong?"

He sighed heavily as he ran a hand over his face "I don't want to fish anymore Nat. Period."

"What?" She sat up, pulling the covers around her body as she looked down at the man she loved, wondering what could make him no longer want to do what he was bred to do, what he lived for, what he loved all his life. "What are you talking about? Why not?"

Edgar propped himself up on his elbow and shrugged "I don't love it anymore Nat. Not the way I used to. Not the way I should."

"Where did this come from all the sudden?"

"It's not all the sudden, not exactly. I've been feeling like this for a while. Guess I just didn't really realize it until now, " he reached over to trail his finger softly down her face "Until I realized what mattered to me the most."

He saw the look of confusion on his wife's face and tried to think of the best way to explain how he was feeling. "I'm old Nat. Too old for this shit anyway. I gave my life and soul to this job and it's chewed me up and spit me out. My body has suffered, my mind. I can't do this anymore. Much as I'll always love this job, much as it means to me sentimentally, I don't want to do it anymore. I can't."

"If you felt like this for so long why are you only just saying something? Why didn't you quit long before now?"

Edgar shrugged "Guess I was just waiting for you to return into my life. Needed something to keep me preoccupied while I waited."

_An eternity I was lost at sea in search of your love;  
>Lost in the vast emptiness that was everywhere. <em>

Natalia smiled serenely as she leaned forward and kissed him soundly "You flatter me."

Edgar grinned "I only speak the truth."

Natalia grinned as she lay herself back down, her head laying right above his beating heart, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. The rain had not let up and as the hour grew on the darkness from the outside world seeped in through their windows and encompassed them.

"So what does this mean Edgar, you quit?"

Edgar sighed "Yeah Nat. After this season, I quit."

She nodded her head against his chest "I quit too then."

Edgar pulled away from her and tried to look into her eyes, though he could only see the outlining of her face.

"No. I don't want you to quit because of me."

"Edgar, you're my husband. I'm not going to spend my life at sea if youre not there right by my side, being a pain in my ass" Natalia tried to lighten the mood with some humor but she knew Edgar was immediately feeling guilty.

"Maybe I could stay on a few more years " He suggested "I got a few good seasons left in me."

"Edgar, no. You're going to kill yourself if you don't stop."

"Ever since I knew you, you wanted to work on a crab boat. It was your dream. I don't want you to give it up for me."

"My only dream is to be with you. That's all I've ever wanted. Where ever you go is where ever I'll be."

"Nat..."

"Would you really want me gone 9-10 months out the year doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs without you there to protect and watch over me?"

"Well.."

"Just imagine what could happen to me if you weren't there..."

"I.."

"I mean God forbid I get swept off the deck and drowned and..."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You made your point."

"Good." Natalia smiled in triumph as she laid her head back onto Edgar's chest, listening to her favorite sound in the world. "So what do you want to do after we quit?"

Edgar chuckled at how casual she could be about it. He'd have to see just how well she handled herself once they broke the news to Sigurd. "Well I was thinking I'd take you to Norway. You can meet your new extended family."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Would you wanna go?"

"Of course. I don't know if you know this but I've never been to Norway before."

Edgar smirked "I figured as much."

"Since we're traveling, after we go to Norway I want to take you to Italy. I have a few aunts, uncles and cousins who live out there."

"You speak Italian?"

"A little bit."

"Say something."

"Io vi amo più della vita stessa miei cari Edgar"

"Hmm, that sounded sexy. What did you say?"

Natalia smirked as she placed a gentle kiss on his chest, above his heart. "I said, "I love you more than life itself, my dear Edgar."

Edgar grinned as he pulled his wife closer to his chest "I love you too."

"I know."

"Smart ass."

They lay in silence for a few minutes longer and Edgar could hear Natalia's breathing become shallow and knew she had fallen asleep. As he stared down at the woman who was spread across his chest, he smiled in the darkness. He could never believe how much he'd lucked out. He had found the woman of his dreams years ago though at the time she was nothing more than a mere girl. As fate would have it she had managed to find her way back to the Northwestern, back to him and into his heart. He would not regret leaving the boat and though apart of him still felt guilty that Natalia wanted to quit on his behalf, he was glad she decided to leave too. He'd probably catch a heart attack every time she left the docks and he'd end up in an early grave. But lucky for him he didn't need to worry about that, reassured by the words Natalia had spoken earlier. _"Where ever you go is where ever I'll be."_

He sighed as he watched his wife sleep, safely in his arms.

_"It's been so long since I've had anyone sleeping next to me  
>It's better than anything just to fall asleep<br>I kept myself up to watch your thoughts drifting next to me  
>Sometimes this single and only event is where I want to be<br>Safe in my room ; An angel sleeps there, breathing through her sleep_."

Edgar smiled and stroked her head lightly as she stirred.

"Stop staring at me you creep." she mumbled groggily

Edgar's mouth nearly dropped open "I thought you were asleep."

"Can't sleep with those damn eyes of yours burning holes in my head."

He laughed "Sorry baby."

_"What can I do ?  
>I'm stuck thinking about you ;<em>

_Did you know my sweet, yeah  
>That I once took the liberty of<br>Watching you in your sleep."_

**A/N : Lyrics from Third Engine & You Stutter When You Breathe.**


	17. Unforgettable

Disclaimer : I own nothing except my own fictional characters and receive no payments of any sort. This story is for simple entertainment and fun only.

So here we are at the end of our journey :( This was my favorite story to write by far, probably because of Edgar lol. So glad so many of you were able to relate to my o/c. I appreciate all the reviews and support ALL of you have shown me :) This chapter is for Kharissa, hopefully it will lift your spirits (i hate to see you down my love :[ ) and inspire you to get back into the mix of things, i need you to update woman! Also a special shoutout to amethystsea for being so cool for catching up on a story that had almost come full circle and left great reviews, your awesome for that one ;)

Now Shut Up & Read! (I'm gonna miss saying that)

"Ed..."

"Hmmm?"

"It's time to wake up."

"I'm up, I'm up."

"You know, I'd be really convinced if you actually opened your eyes."

He chuckled as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. They'd gone to bed more than 8 hours ago but if felt like 8 minutes instead. Natalia placed a kiss on his forehead and stood.

"I'll see you out there." She called over her shoulder as she exited the room.

Edgar leaned over the bed and searched through his duffel bag for what he would wear. He got dressed, went to the bathroom quickly, and then made his way out on deck.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDGAR!" the crew and cameramen shouted in unison, causing him to laugh.

"Thank you, thank you." He bowed ceremoniously and smiled.

After the initial hugs and personal "happy birthday" wishes everyone got to work. They were hauling their pots that they had set 48 hours ago and it seemed even the Bering Sea knew it was Edgar's birthday because the pots were overflowed with Opilio crab. Everyone was in high spirits as they worked through the next few hours.

Natalia kept stealing glances at Edgar as the crew sorted through their catch and try as she might, she couldn't keep herself from smiling. He was animatedly telling a story to the guys and everytime he smiled her heart did this funny little flip. Funny how that still happened.

It amazed Natalia how the older he got the more beautiful he seemed to look. He could best be described as a fine wine, better with age. Natalia was confident that he'd age even more gracefully after he, as well as she, recieved their final paychecks from the Northwestern after this season was through.

Sig had not taken well to the news of their impending resignement as was expected. Since learning of it ten days earlier he'd been a vicious tyrant and he and Edgar had had some very heated arguements. Still, since today was his youngest brother's birthday, he'd decided to act cordial and there had not been an unpleasant peep out of "physco Sig" for the entire day.

As Natalia looked upon the man she loved, the man she had always loved, she marveled at how she had found her way back to him and this time as more than a friend. Even when she had moved away 15 years ago she had never forgotten Edgar. There were times when she'd stare out into the ocean or she'd catch the smell of a burning cigarette and she'd think of him. She'd wonder how he was doing, if he still fished, if he was married. He was a million miles away and yet he was ever present in her thoughts.

_"Unforgettable  
>That's what you are,<br>Unforgettable  
>Though near or far. "<em>

Just the thought of him could inspire happiness, laughter and elation. Never in her life had she felt this strongly about anyone else. Deep down inside Natalia knew that she never would.

_"Like a song of love that clings to me,  
>How the thought of you does things to me.<br>Never before  
>Has someone been more...<em> "

He had always been and always would be unforgettable to her. And much to her surprise, he'd never forgotten her either. The fact that he'd saved her cards and pictures from all those years ago were a testament to how special she was to him, even if it was in a different way at the time.

_"Unforgettable  
>In every way,<br>And forever more  
>That's how you'll stay.<em>

_That's why, darling, it's incredible  
>That someone so unforgettable<br>Thinks that I am  
>Unforgettable, too. "<em>

"Alright everybody, We're gonna call it in early today." Sig announced through the loud hailer and everyone turned to the wheelhouse in surprise.

"But we still got a couple more strings to go." Nick shouted back, as if Sig had forgotten.

"Thank you Captain Obvious, I know that. But they can soak for another day."

"Why?" Matt was the one to ask.

"Because it's Edgar's birthday. Now get inside before I change my mind."

No one questioned him further as they happily made their way into the wet room to strip their gear. Edgar was the last to enter into the galley and was genuinely surprised to see everyone seated around the table with a birthday cake centered in the middle. It was iced with "Happy Birthday DeckBoss!" written across it and had candles with the number 41 placed on top. Edgar sat down and smiled as he's crew sang the traditional happy birthday song to him. When they finished singing Natalia, who was standing behind Edgar, leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Make a wish"

Edgar's only wish was to get some that night and you best believe he put his wish to good use. He blew out the candles and everyone cheered. The cameramen were also gathered in the galley as everyone was handed a slice of cake by the new boat mother that had been hired for the season. For reasons noone seemed to understand, she and Sig were not on good terms from the first day she'd stepped on to the Northwestern which was why Sig had decided to not come downstairs and join in on the festivities, even momentairily. Edgar noticed and decided he'd bring up a slice to his oldest and most annoying brother later.

As the hour drew on, the crowd dissipated and after giving Edgar a final congratulations, crew and cameramen alike went their seperate ways and about their buisness. Edgar grabbed a plate, a fork, and a slice of cake. Natalia looked at him knowingly.

"I'll see you in bed."

"You got it." Edgar said as he leaned over a kissed her. Natalia went off to their shared stateroom and Edgar made his way up into the wheelhouse. It was dark and quiet and Sig was lazily smoking a cigarette as he leaned back leisurely into his throne. Edgar cleared his throat and for the first time since the season started Sig actually smiled at his brother.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Edgar made his way over to Sig and handed him a slice of cake "I bought you a piece."

"I don't remember buying cake." Sig said as he accepted the plate from his brother "Guy's must've got it for you without me knowing."

"Nah, the new boat mama made it for me. It's real good."

Sig's face immediately scrunched up in disgust and sat the plate down in his lap. "I don't want it."

Edgar shook his head "What's the deal with you and her?"

"Nothing." Sig's reply was short.

"One day brother, you're gonna tell me."

Sig snorted "Don't count on it."

They sat in companiable brotherly silence for a few minutes. After being at eachothers throats for over a week, the peace between them was a welcome change. Eventually Sig broke the silence.

"You sure you're doing the right thing Edgar?" He slowly blew out a cloud of smoke.

"I am. The right thing for me and my wife."

Sig remained silent as he contemplated his youngest brothers words and nodded his head.

"Then I'm happy for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sig said and scratched his head lazily "No more grief from me."

"You'll always give me grief Sigurd. On or off this damn boat." Edgar said and both brothers laughed. As the laughter subsided Sig suddenly took on a solemn tone.

"I love you Edgar. I'm proud of you. You're the best deckhand I could've ever asked for and I'm proud to have worked by you all these years. Dad would be proud of you too."

Edgar cleared his throat, surprised by the sudden and uncharacteristic emotion that overcame him.

"Thanks bro, that means alot. I love you too."

The Norwegian brothers had nothing more to say, uncomfortable with the soft words and emotions they were sharing and displaying amongst eachother. This was definitaley not the norm when it came to the Hansen brothers.

"Well this is awkward." Edgar said jokingly as he got up from the bench.

"Tell me about it." Sig laughed and unconsciously took a bite of his cake.

"Thought you didn't want it." Edgar said with a smirk

"Whatever. Im hungry." Sig said in the "Im the Captain, I dont have to explain myself to you" tone that everyone who worked for him was familiar with. Edgar smiled and patted his brother on the back.

"Thanks for everything bro."

"Yeah, yeah."

Edgar smriked as he made his way down from the wheelhouse and entered into his stateroom. He smiled as he saw Natalia sprawled out across his bed, wearing black panties, an oversized Harely Davidson T-shirt with "Born To Ride" written across it and nothing else.

Edgar glanced down and realized he was still wearing his same dirty clothes from earlier and quickly began to strip down until he was in nothing more than his boxers. He slid between the sheets and Natalia was immediately on top of him.

"About time you got here." She placed soft kisses on his neck.

"Been waiting on me long?" Edgar chuckled huskily.

Natalia pulled back from Edgar and looked down at him, all the love she felt for him conveyed in her eyes.

"All my life."

_"Unforgettable  
>In every way,<br>And forever more  
>That's how you'll stay."<em>

Edgar felt the impact of emotion in her words and saw the love in her eyes and for the second time Edgar had become suddenly and intensly overcome with emotion. _"This is so unlike me"_ He thought idly _"I must be getting older than I thought."  
><em> 

Natalia leaned forward and kissed Edgar soundly on the lips as he wrapped her hair in his hand. He flipped her over so that she was beneath him and ran his hands up her shirt, gently palming her voluptuous breast. She let out a small sigh at the feel of his work-worn hands against her tender skin. She'd never get used to this, no matter how many blissful years of marriage they had ahead of them, no matter how many times they'd make love, she would never totally be used to the feel of him, to the feeling of what it was like to be with him and have him inside her.

Edgar swiftly removed her shirt and took her breast into his mouth, showering each nipple with sweet attention. Her skin was soft and her touch was gentle, and yet her body was muscled and tough due her experience from the Bering Sea. Edgar found the combination sexy and he was becoming increasingly aroused. He hooked a finger under her panties and gingerly pulled it down, tossing it off to the floor. Natalia smiled as she ran her hand gently down his face.

"So beautiful." she whispered softly.

"I prefer 'ruggedly handsome' " he said with a smile as he pulled his boxers off and sent them on the floor to accompany her recently strewn underwear.

He set himself up to enter her but Natalia placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"But it's my birthday." He whined good naturedly, causing Natalia to chuckle in effect.

"Not this time birthday boy."

Edgar sighed heavily but leaned over the side of his bed, searching through his duffel bag for condoms. He stopped when he saw an envelope addressed to him from Nat and smiled. He was positve that it hadn't been there this morning. He cast her a grin as he removed the envelope from the bag and layed himself down next to Natalia, propped up on an elbow. He took care to open the envelope gently, almost perfectly, leaving it in mint condition. Inside he found a birthday card and a picture. He removed the card first.

_"Dear Edgar,_

_Happy Birthday my baby! You're getting so old!"_

Edgar shot her a look but laughed as he continued to read on..

_"I'm glad I get to spend it with you FINALLY! But this is just one of MANY more to come. I hope you get everything you wish for. When you feel like your back's against the wall and you have the weight of the world on your shoulders know that I'm right by your side. It's you and me against the world baby and I'm not going anywhere._

_-your wife, Natalia"_

Edgar cleared his throat, again overcome with emotion. "That was beautiful baby. Thank you." He kissed her forehead first before kissing her lips. He then pulled back from her and pulled out the picture that was still in the envelope. He smiled warmly as he looked at the image infront of him. It was taken 3 days after they'd gotten married. They'd gone with a private tour guide to hike at Red Rock Canyon, just west of Las Vegas. They were both clad in T-shirts, shorts and hiking boots, their skin bronzed by the beaming sun. Edgar was sitting on a rock, with Natalia on his lap. They had their heads close together, laughing and whispering secrets that only lovers share. The sun was setting behind them, behind the rocks and mountains, the colors in the sky beautiful, magical and eternal, just like their love. They were both unaware that this picture had even been taken at the time. Edgar turned the picture over in his hand to read the inscription and smiled. It was simple, to the point, and everything he felt. _"I love you. I always have. I always will."_

Edgar silently put the birthday card and picture back into the envelope, leaned over Natalia and placed it safely back inside his duffel bag. He found the condom he'd been looking for earlier and withdrew it. He smiled down at his beautiful wife. She's the girl he once loved and the woman he was now in love with. He'd thought of her from time to time throughout the years. Wondering how she'd ended up, if she'd found a career in the fishing industry, if she'd found someone special. No, he had never forgotten her and much to his delight she had never fogotten him either. They were meant to be. It was as simple as that. Edgar gently stroked Natalia's face as he kissed her soundly. He repositioned himself again over her entrance and began to put the condom over his manhood but Natalia grabbed his wrist and shook her head.

"It's your birthday." She said with a smile and tossed the condom to the side. Edgar smiled like a kid on Christmas as he entered his wife with absolutely nothing coming between them, between their union. They rarely made love without a condom, for fear of Natalia becoming pregnant. Though they both agreed that if she ever did get pregnant they'd be the happiest parents in the world, neither truly had the desire to have children. They enjoyed the fact that they had responsibilities only to eachother.

But tonight, it was Edgar's night, and Natalia would give him whatever he wanted, whatever he needed. They made love, unsure and uncaring of the time that had passed, their only concern being eachother. Edgar whispered hoarsely in his wife's ear "I love you."

Natalia nodded her head, breathing heavily "I love you too baby. Always have."

"Always will." He mumbled against her lips and they both climaxed, finding completion in their lovemaking and eachother.

_"That's why, darling, it's incredible  
>That someone so unforgettable<br>Thinks that I am  
>Unforgettable, too."<em>

**A/N: Ahh! Im sooo sad to end my story! (BIG tears) As you can see though, I left a little teasy tease about the boat mother, it'll be for my next story! Again thank you to everyone who's reviewed and supported the story. When I first joined FF i'd only intended to do one story and here we are finishing off a third and getting ready for a fourth. I can honestly say it's all because of each and everyone of you! Thanks for everything! Oh and the song is 'Unforgettable' by Nat King Cole, one of my favorites :)**


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